The Daily Word: Saturday, January 7th, 2017
Genesis 16:1-18:15
Matthew 6:1-24
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverbs 2:1-5
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Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. – Genesis 16:1-2
There are two ways to expound on this verse. We could take the usual route and criticize Sarah. Sarah thought God had refused to give her children (“the Lord has restrained me”), but she really wanted a child. So, she found a way. She sought to make her own dream of being pregnant a reality in a roundabout way, ignored the timing of God, and sent Abraham in to her maid to get her pregnant. She rushed God! She fought against His will!
But let’s take a step back. Barrenness is not God’s will. Barrenness is not from God! God had not refused Abraham and Sarah a child; in fact, God had already promised them a child (Gen 15:4)! Sarah’s mistake – and perhaps the reason her breakthrough took so long – was that she improperly attributed the will of Satan to God. She convinced herself that because she didn’t see the answer to her prayers, she must not have been praying according to God’s will. Satan’s plan was to keep her barren; but God’s plan was to fill her womb with life!
God is good! If you are believing for a child with your spouse, His will is to see you pregnant: fruitful, and never barren. How do I know this? In Scripture, every barren couple that sought God for a child eventually had one.[1] Every one!
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. – Psalm 84:11
Prayer:
Father, thank you that barrenness is never Your will. You want me to be fruitful, in Jesus’ name! Help me to believe in Your promise, with all my heart – every day of my life.
Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
© Michael D. White, 2017. All rights reserved.
[1] Abraham and Sarah in Gen 15-21, Isaac and Rebekah in Gen 25, Rachel and Jacob in Gen 29 & 30, Manoah and his wife in Judges 13, Hannah and Elkanah in 1 Samuel 1, the Shunammite woman and her husband in 2 Kings 4, and Elizabeth and Zachariah in Luke 1.