LifeLink Devotions for Monday, September 16, 2024

When the Lord had visited Abraham prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah He told him that he would have a son within a year. Sarah had overheard that conversation from the tent, and she had laughed in disbelief that something so absurd could really happen. Not only did she laugh, but when confronted with her disbelief she lied about it because she was afraid. Imagine what kind of faithless fear is necessary to lie to the face of the Lord. Instead of being humble and asking for the faith necessary to believe what she had been told, she lied because she was afraid of what would happen to her for her unbelief. Had she not considered that if there was punishment for unbelief there would also be punishment for lying? But in defense of Sarah, we probably would have responded the same way because the fear of self-loss blinds us to the consequences of future actions, and we only see the need for self-protection.

So here we are several chapters later, and the time has come for Isaac to be born. The story of Isaac’s birth begins with a most incredible statement about the character of God  in Genesis 21:1. “Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.”

One translation of that text is “Now the LORD graciously visited Sarah.” Based on Sarah’s response to the news and the lack of any information in the Bible about a confession and apology for that response, the visit of the LORD was a gracious one. I wonder how many promises of God are being graciously fulfilled in our lives by a God of grace when we don’t really believe He can do it.  In fact, I would go a giant step beyond that and consider that all the promises of God are fulfilled only because of His grace, and that nothing we receive from Him is earned or deserved. Otherwise, none of it is grace. According to human standards of relationship Sarah had certainly lost the right to have a promise fulfilled: but not according to God’s standards. God deals with us by grace, not by grudges: by mercy, not merit.

I want to burst out in praise as I consider all of the times I have walked by sight for selfish reasons, and yet God continues to fulfill His promises. Every day I awake from sleep is a gracious visit from God with life. Every event of every day is a gracious visit from God with direction, guidance, and wisdom. Every improvement in my life of faith is a gracious visit from God who is finishing the work He started in me. Every blessing in my life is a gracious visit from God who has promised every spiritual blessing from on high. Every test and trial is a gracious visit from God to make my faith stronger. None of these things is earned: all these things are God’s gracious visits to me.

I pray that today, and every day, will be a celebration of God’s grace for you. He is visiting us, and He is fulfilling His promise. That is reason to rejoice!

Pastor John