January 4, 2023
Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith — just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? (Galatians 3:5-6) ESV.
In Galatians chapter four, we read about two babies being born. In todays’ Devotional Thought, I would like to compare the babies. The one baby, Ishmael, was born of Hagar, a slave of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. The other child was born of the promise to Sarah and Abraham, and his name was Isaac. Baby Ismael came from Mount Sinai, where the Law, the Ten Commandments, was given. On the other hand, Baby Isaac came from New Jerusalem, the place of Promise, where you and I are going someday.
The difference: Ishmael was born because Sarah doubted God. She told her husband Abraham to sleep with her maid so that she might have a child and not be shamed in the district. Abraham listened to Sarah, slept with Hagar, and the result was Ishmael, born of the flesh. On the other hand, Isaac, the child of Promise, was born of the Spirit. This raises the question: When we decide to do things without Praying and seeking the Lord’s directions, are we walking by faith, or are we making our plans?
The “plan” that Sarah made and Abraham agreed to is the same challenge that the Jewish people are struggling with today.
If only Abraham and Sarah had trusted God, if only they had genuinely believed that the Lord would honor their desire for a child and His Promise to give them one. However, they became impatient. Some of us have done this; I can speak for myself, saying I have. We cannot say we trust God and continue to make our plans; it never works out. If God has given us a Promise, we must trust Him to fulfill that Promise.
Friends, we are justified by faith; this means we have to walk and live by faith. We cannot move between the Law and the Promise. Let's begin today by joining together in this prayer today.
Dear Heavenly Father, I bow before You today and ask You to forgive me. I am reminded that I often make my plans. Please help me today to walk in the confidence of the Promise I have in You. I trust You to fulfill Your Promise to me in Your perfect time. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Encouraging Words: What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
God Bless you, Friends, and have a Blessed Day <><
Thoughts by Randall Stapleton is a Daily Devotion brought to you by The Bridge - Learn more at https://wearethebridge.org
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