GIVE GOD COSTLY OBEDIENCE FOR YOUR PEACE AND ETERNAL LIFE

EVERY WORD OF GOD FOR DAILY LIVING BY: 
PASTOR PAUL RIKA:
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR 
Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide

DATE: WEDNESDAY , JANUARY 20

And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.  And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.  And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.  And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

KEY VERSE: Isaiah 1:19
 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:​

You want peace? Certainly you need it! In your life you are looking for peace; in your family you are looking for peace; even in your neighborhood you are looking for peace. Also in the church, you are looking for peace. This peace is only found in obedience. Some demands of God are very costly; hence some people reject them. In so doing, they reject the way to peace; they reject what is meant for their eternal life; they deny their blessings.

In today’s devotional text, God demanded a costly obedience from Abraham. Thank God, Abraham gave Him what He was looking for. That made God to do for Abraham what He planned to do. Abraham had been walking with God for several years and God promised him that He would give him a child. He gave him a particular time that the child would be born and then it was done at his old age.

It is good to trust the Lord continuously. The Lord had promised Abraham and Sarah a child and that He would multiply them exceedingly upon the earth, but Sarah was not patient enough to wait for God.

Sarah began to use carnal wisdom thinking, ‘Maybe God meant that Abraham can marry another woman that would give him a child and that would still be my child.’ That was a wrong interpretation. That was what she did and Hagar, her maid, gave birth to Ishmael for Abraham, hence Ishmael became the first son of Abraham. Ishmael was about fourteen years old when Isaac was born to Abraham and Isaac was about two years old when he was weaned from breast milk we suppose.

At this time, Ishmael should be about sixteen years old so when Ishmael saw the child Isaac crawling or walking or playing about, he mocked and despised the child. He treated the child contemptuously and Sarah saw it. It must be noted that Abraham had Ishmael as his son and they had lived with each other as father and son, played together, gone to various places together for about sixteen years and now Sarah is asking Abraham to send both mother and son away from the house because she didn’t want Ishmael to share in her son’s inheritance. Sarah’s request grieved Abraham but God commanded him to let go.  Abraham did and it was a costly obedience for the sake for heaven. 

Thought for the day:
Even if God’s demand on you is hard and difficult, do it!

Song for the day:
Trust and obey for there’s no other way….

Bible reading for the day:
​Genesis 46-48; Matthew 14:22-36