God's Grace (Gen 16:15-16)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 07-28-2006

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  God’s Grace

Bible Reading & Meditation                                  Reference:  Genesis 16:15-16

            Message of the verse:  “15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.  16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.”

           

            I would like to make a few points from what the Lord has taught me in this section of Scripture, (Chapter 16).  This chapter is a chapter of contrasts with chapter fifteen where Abraham has been given a great victory with the covenant that God has given to him.  Now Abraham is the one who blew it and sinned in chapter sixteen. Once again Satan has used a woman to cause a man to sin, and once again the man did not follow all of the directions that were given to him by the Lord.  Abraham, like Adam, did not tell his wife that the advice she had been given was in direct violation of what the Lord had given to him and like Adam went along with the advice of his wife and sinned.  Abraham, like Adam was responsible for his family and blew it.

           

            It has been suggested that because of the covenant that God had with Abraham that this son whom he had fathered would become a great nation and therefore God made a great nation out of Ishmael.

           

            God’s grace is seen in chapter sixteen as He comes to the young slave woman who ran away from her master, and told here what to name her child, and also that he would become a great nation.  God’s grace is seen in the life of Abraham and Sarah who had sinned by running a head of God in trying to have a child in there own way.  Dr. Wiersbe says that when God cannot rule, He will overrule.  Dr Wiersbe also quoted another author who said that the Christian life was a series of new beginnings, and I surely believe that is true.

            Spiritual meaning for my life:  This has been a very bad summer for me as I battle with the problem of lustful thoughts, and have fallen and been defeated on several times, and this lesson was one that I really needed and am thankful to the Lord for having me do this on this day.

The Word of God has been refreshment to my soul as I read and studied it this morning.

My Steps of Faith Today:  Trust in the Word of God that His forgiveness is real.