The Grace of God Who Brings Each of Us Laughter 81 [Gen 21:1-7] / Anne's Faith Column

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The Grace of God

Who Brings Each

of Us Laughter 81

[Gen 21:1-7]

 / Anne's Faith Column 

 

 

/ By Priscilla 

 

God's promises and

their fulfillment bring

genuine laughter to

us mankind.

 

 

God is so good that

He keeps His promises

to the end.

 

 

He is the Alpha

(the Beginning)

and Omega

(the End)

 

 

who fulfills

and accomplishes

His promises definitely.

 

 

"Now the LORD was gracious

to Sarah as he had said,

and the LORD did for Sarah

what he had promised.

 

 

Sarah became pregnant

and bore a son to Abraham

in his old age, at the very

 time God had promised him.

 

 

Abraham gave the name Isaac 

to the son Sarah bore him.

 

 

When his son Isaac was

eight days old,  Abraham

circumcised him,

 

 

as God commanded him.

Abraham was a hundred

years old when his son

Isaac was born to him.

 

 

 Sarah said,

"God has brought  me laughter,

and everyone who hears 

about this will laugh

with me."

 

 

And she added,

"Who would have said to

Abraham that Sarah would

nurse children?

 

 

Yet I have borne him

a son in his old age."

(Gen 21:1-7)

 

 

Joy and laughter from God

are sincere and complete.

 

 

God, who covered the shame

and faults of the old couple

'Abraham' and 'Sarah',

intervened in their lives

 

 

because God summoned

them by names and

chose them.

 

 

God Himself supervised,

trained, and used them.

 

 

He not only gave a vision to

those who were already old,

but also He paved the way for us

 

 

to accomplish the work of salvation

through His messianic genealogy.

 

 

This is the wonderful event

and free grace God granted them.

 

 

Isn't it God who gave the

expression 'Father of Faith'

and who gave Abraham

such faith?

 

 

In spite of their old age,

in God's timing, God

opened her womb

 

 

which was impossible in

human means,

 

 

granting them an

indescribable and

incredible joy!

 

 

God fulfilled his promise

and allowed them

to glorify God, who

gave them laughter

 

 

while they were trembling

in astonishment at

marvelous work of God.

 

 

Meditating on today's

scripture, I also want to

experience the love of God

in my life that came to them

through this amazing event.

 

 

"I will stand at my watch

and station myself on

the ramparts; I will look to

see what he will say to me,

 

 

and what answer I am to

give to this complaint.

 

 

Then the LORD replied:

 

 

"Write down the revelation

and make it plain on tablets

so that a herald may

run with it.

 

 

For the revelation awaits

an appointed time;

it speaks of the end

and will not prove false.

 

 

Though it linger, wait for it;

it will certainly come and

will not delay."

(Habak 2:1-3)

 

 

Even if sometimes 

circumstances and

situations given to us

seem to be difficult

 

 

and impossible from

a human point of view,

we must believe and trust

only in the Lord.

 

 

He will surely restore our

current situation, even

if it is very difficult.

 

 

He will turn it into

a situation overflowing

with joy, peace, and

gratitude 

 

 

- like Elijah under the

'Rodem' Tree.

 

 

He will give us a definite

recovery eventually from

difficult situations.

 

 

No matter what our

circumstances are,

even if our beginnings

seem humble,

 

 

if we can feel the peace

and rest from the Lord,

what is all this other than

the providence of God?

 

 

There are still big and

small problems and

obstacles that are

constantly attacking us

 

 

on the path of life

we ​​are walking through.

 

 

Even at this moment,

they keep trying to

invade into us.

 

 

But don't you feel that

Jesus' soft voice saying,

 

 

'Follow me,' and the 

guidance of the Holy 

Spirit are so definitely 

coming to us?

 

 

As the years go by,

the love of the Lord

deepens,

 

 

and we gradually

come to realize that

He is guiding us.

 

 

What an amazing

providence of God this is!

 

 

So don't try to limit the

power of God to the

human standards

any more!

 

 

Although we are not

complete right now,

 

 

God will surely restore us

when we  are preparing

and waiting.

 

 

When the time comes,

God will loose us from being

tied up and He will use us

without delay in his due time.

 

 

Therefore, let's remember

the Lord's hand, and write

down the words He gave us

on the tablet of our hearts.

 

 

God, who helps us at

the most appropriate time,

is patiently waiting for us

to change and mature.

 

 

Sometimes he makes us

realize that pain and

suffering are good for us.

 

 

Moreover, how grateful

we are for allowing us

a period to share in the

sufferings of the Lord!

 

 

As God’s power is almighy,

we must try to understand

what His great will is

for each of us.

 

 

Therefore, today we

must abide in what we

have seen, heard, learned

and convinced ourselves.

 

 

On the other hand,

I want to confirm the hand

of God who uses me as

an instrument to spread,

 

 

teach, and deliver the gospel

and become God's bodies.

 

 

So, at some point

in the near future,

 

 

when the fog of the trials

that obscured my vision

is finally cleared...

 

 

I believe that the time

will come when God will

drive them out with the

brilliant light of God

 

 

and wipe out the forces

of Satan that have ruled

over our circumstances. 

 

 

Although I am nothing

and also fragile being like

a jar of clay, what do I lack

if only the Lord is truly

with me?

 

 

That's why I believe that

God's grace and His word

of promise will come

true someday.  

 

 

Now is the time when

we need the will of faith

to firmly believe that God

is able to accomplish it.

 

 

In this way, because

of the Lord, we can gain

the hope to live with courage

and strength even in a

tough world.

 

 

Like the

laughter of Abraham

and Sarah due to Isaac,

by the power of God,

 

 

He will make it possible

for us to have a genuine

and complete laughter

as well.

 

 

So what

should we do for it?

 

 

1) Let's face hardship

with a joyful heart.

 

 

2) The more we are lacking

and weak, the more we

must look to God.

 

 

3) Let's receive the Word

and the ability in grace of God

 

 

 

Prayer

 

 

Lord!

 

 

May the laughter given by

God truly burst into my life!

 

 

Thank you for making me

realize that the pain you

allowed to give me now

is the best you can

do for me.

 

 

Amen

 

- To Be Continue - 

 

 

 

2010/06/14

 

 

/ By Priscilla