-
The Grace of God Who Brings Each of Us Laughter 81 [Gen 21:1-7] / Anne's Faith ColumnCOLUMNS 2022. 6. 2. 06:35
New Zealand / West Side Moru
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
'COLUMNS' 카테고리의 다른 글