Corona Devo 164

Have you ever felt too unworthy for the Lord to use you?

Tainted.  

Blemished by sin or blemished because of our doubt in Him?  Like we have let God down one too many times, and His door of opportunity has closed for Him to work in us and through us because of our track record in messing up.    

The description of us is accurate.  We are blemished by sin and disobedience to Him.  We are not worthy of Him.

But our projection of God's response to us is inaccurate.  The entire Bible is a love story written with us in mind, and the underlying theme pulsing through the people and chapters is undeserved forgiveness: grace and mercy for us from God.

I get in God's way all of the time.  I overstep boundaries, push-the-envelope and force issues that are not mine to meddle in.  Pride, impatience and entitlement seep into us and then ooze or explode out of us, and we dishonor God when that is what we exude.

But the Good Lord sees good in us (He has put it there!), and offers us new opportunities each day to live for Him, even if the paint is still wet on our last failure in serving Him.  We can't fathom His forgiveness, but today let's remember it afresh and embrace it.

Need an example?  Sarai (soon to be renamed Sarah by God) had been wanting a baby her whole life.  God told her husband Abram that he would have descendants.  Sarai forced the issue and interfered with God's plan.  Have you ever thought that you needed to "help things along"?  That God was "taking too long"?  Perhaps that it was your "duty" to interfere, I mean "orchestrate" things?  I have---and I messed things up.  Sarai really messed things up too.  

So God forsook her.  God gave up on her.  God left her at the curb and deemed her worthless... 

Not our God.  

When He has a plan, nothing gets in the way of it.  Even us and our selfishness.  

Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. (16) And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”

(17) Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” (18) So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”

(19) But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. (20) As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. (21) But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” (22) When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.  ~Genesis 17:15-22

Abraham was in such disbelief about the possibility of Sarah having a son (at age 99!) that he (1) laughs, and then (2) alleges that God must be talking about his illegitimate son, Ishmael.  But the Lord clarifies that what He had told Abraham 13 years earlier, was in fact finally going to happen: Sarah would bear him a son.  This is how the verses related to Abraham.

But as we look for hope and promise and forgiveness in God's eyes for us today, let's review how the verses related to Sarah. In those days, bearing children was the main responsibility and privilege of a woman.  The humiliation and shame of 99 years being barren would have worn heavily on Sarah.  Maybe there is something that has been burdening you for a long time.  The Lord is aware of it.

The Lord was also aware of Sarah's shortcomings, and her failures.  He's aware of ours too.  

And in spite of these, His love and plans for us are remarkable, regardless of our past failures or our lack of spiritual self-esteem.  Place yourself in Sarah's sandals for a moment.  And place your current wait or weight in place of her desire to bear a child.  Listen to God's words of love and renewal and fulfillment of His promises to Sarah, and to us:

And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.” ~Genesis 17:16

Only you can know what promise these verses hold for you.  But I truly believe that Sarah's example of God's hope and blessing was a long-awaited child (and many descendants), and God has a parallel promise for you and me today.  

Sarah had messed up, Sarah wasn't perfect.  But she did love God and tried to live for Him.  That's all we have to do too.  He may not be honored my our mistakes, but God forgives our sin out of love.  And it swells my heart to absorb today's verses and accept that He wants to bless us.  Even us. 

Twice God confirms to Abraham that it will be Sarah that will bear him this special son, Isaac.  God wants to use us for special things in our lives too.  Wake up ready to serve Him, and ready to be blessed today.  

We are not unworthy of our Father's blessing.  

And I will bless her... Yes, I will bless her richly...  ~Genesis 17:16

Blessings,

Sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com