“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end,” Jeremiah 29:11.
Often time when God wants to do His works in us and through us, we tend to shy away or out rightly reject it as impossible. Sometimes, we feel too small for such a great thing and feel undeserving of such marvel of God. We simply accept the ordinary things of life that does not make us outstanding in the sight of men.
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men,” Matthew 5:13.
We also, thereby, delay the manifestation of the will of God in our life and time. Mrs. Sarah Abraham almost missed the birth of Isaac at a time it was humanly impossible for her to give birth. In fact, emotionally in terms of lovemaking Abraham and Sarah were out of the equation
“Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women,” Genesis 18:11. Before this time, God had been taking Abraham and Sarah through a process of transformation; from Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah.
This was not done for the fun of it, in the same way, the things you have been going through are not for the fun of it. God is bringing you through to a point where you will be a marvel through His marvellous work in your life. It has been a painful, torturous journey, but God has never left you alone. You did not understand and may not understand, but He who holds the future knows the end and He is in charge. He that watches over you neither sleeps nor slumbers; the same God that visited the house of Abraham will visit your house also.
Even though Sarah was not at the meeting, it was a must that they look for her and let her know it is her time.
“And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him,” Genesis 18:9-10.
When Sarah heard these words, she forgot she had longed for a child that her delay was because she was going to bring forth the child of promise not just any child, but she doubted and laughed it off as probably the God sent men were operating under the influence of the good meal they just ate, “who knows how long they must have been on the road without food,” she probably thought.
“Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, after I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” Genesis 18:12.
God was not happy with the unbelief of Sarah.
“And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?” Genesis 18:13.
But not only was it the time and season of Abraham and Sarah, they also paid the price for the manifestation of their forgotten dream, howbeit unknown to them
“And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, so do, as thou hast said,” Genesis 18:3-5. Note in verse 5 “…and comfort ye your hearts…”
These were strangers, but Abraham had a nudge that they were not ordinary men. He was sensitive to know and to cease the moment
“Make rarely quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetch a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat,” Genesis 18:6-8.
Can you imagine old Abraham running round the house looking for Sarah and eventually, the two old couple running hastily to prepare a meal? “Ran after the calf? Kill, prepare and serve the meal to strangers?” This is a sacrifice. (Genesis 18:6-8).
• Abraham was sensitive enough not to miss the moment.
• He was ready to make a sacrifice. He killed a calf he had no intention of killing though we were not told what plan he had in mind about the calf, but at that moment, it was not relevant. What was important was to cease the moment and secure the future seed — Isaac, his next generation.
