Read it: Genesis 12:1-20; Genesis 18:1-15
Live it:
Abraham and Sarah– they have quite a story. I suppose it began with falling in love. Handsome Abram meets beautiful Sarah. Dreams of their future fill their imaginations: where they will live, the children they will have. It isn’t long before dreams and reality collide. Sarah is unable to have children. It’s a pain I’m acquainted with. I know some of you know this pain very well.
Then, following God’s direction, they head off for Canaan, where they don’t know anyone. Their marriage is full of ups and downs: having to care for their elderly family, Sarah almost being taken away to be Pharaoh’s wife, Abraham having a baby with the maid, and God asking Abraham to sacrifice his own son. Nothing about their marriage sounded easy.
Marriage isn’t easy. Some people make it look that way. But it isn’t. It’s a daily choice, and it’s full of mistakes. Marriage has a lot of joy, too. One of the secrets about marriage is in this story. It’s simply this: trust completely in God. When your arms are empty, hold on to God. When the direction God wants you to go takes you away from everything familiar, make God your best friend. When your children make choices that you don’t approve of, give them to God. When you feel caring for elderly family members has drained the life out of you, let God refresh you. When life, people, or situations drive a wedge between you and your spouse, call on God.
When you think that God has abandoned His promises for you and you think you have the answer, trust God.
Pastor Jessica