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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 85

"When You said, 'Seek My face,' My heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek.'" Psalm 27:8

Text: Genesis 17:1-27

A LONG WAIT

God called Abram out of Haran when he was 75 years of age. The Lord gave a wondrous covenant to Abram where He promised that He would not only give him the land of Canaan, but that he would also have myriads of descendants! For 11 years, Abram and Sarai were unable to have children of their own. Sarai thought that perhaps Hagar, her maid could produce children that would fulfil what God had promised! This idea, which was not from God, turned out disastrously!

The Lord had His own time-table. In His own time, God would fulfil what He had promised Abram! The challenge was to develop the kind of faith that would be able to trust the Lord, even if it involved a long wait!


A LONG WORD FROM THE LORD

From time to time, the Lord would appear to Abram. Each time God spoke to Abram, He would instruct him further! We have a long word given to Abram on this occasion when God spoke to him. Abram had reached 99 years of age at that time! A full 24 years had passed since he came out of Haran and lived in the land of Canaan.

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old,
The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him,
‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
and I will make My covenant between Me and you,
and will multiply you exceedingly.’

GENESIS 17:1-2

1. A Long Silence

A full 13 years had slipped by, and God apparently did not give any significant word to Abram. He was certainly not blameless with reference to his treatment of Hagar, his second wife! God allowed him 13 long years to reflect on how he could have conducted himself far better than he did!

2. Another Name of God revealed

God in His grace once again spoke to Abram. Once again, Abram was privileged to have God reveal Himself through knowledge of yet another Name. The Lord spoke of Himself as “Almighty God” or “El Shaddai”. Abram must not doubt the power of God to fulfil His Promise! He was “Almighty God” and not just “God Most High”.

3. “Walk before Me blameless”

Perhaps this phrase explains why God had not spoken as much to Abram these past 13 years! God urged Abram to work even harder at expressing his faith in Him! “Blamelessness” should be his goal!

4. “I will multiply you exceedingly”

As Almighty God, could He not fulfil what He has promised? Faith says, “YES!”