GENESIS 21-40

It is Saturday morning.  I got up early and spent an hour reading God's Word and now I have a little time to type out a blog and then go to church and teach a devotion for our men's prayer meeting.  We have a devotion, prayer time, and then a great breakfast each Saturday.  I am not eating today as I'm fasting.  For the last dozen or so years, I've fasted until I preach on my vision for the year to our congregation.  This year is only 2 1/2 days, but it has been ten days in the past before I preached on Vision Sunday.  God has used it and I don't take it lightly that we need God's blessings upon us, or nothing gets done worth doing.  Here are some thoughts I had as I read this morning: 1) LET THE CHILDREN PRAY- In Gen. 21, Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away after Sarah had Isaac.  She is sent off with a bottle of water over her shoulder.  When that is spent, she places the child under a bush, and goes off about the distance of a bow shot.  She prays:  "Let me not see the death of the child."  (vs. 16)  In verse 17, twice God says:  "And God heard the voice of the lad".  In verse 19, when Hagar opened up her eyes, she saw a "well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink."  Now the Bible tells us what Hagar was praying, and it tells us that God heard the voice of the lad.... so what do you think Ishmael was praying for?  Water!  And God heard his voice.  Now if you really want some great prayer answered.... the key is to get some children praying because they have no limitations to their faith!  The older we get.... the more of "oh ye of little faith" we become!  Let the children pray! 2) JUST GET IN THE WAY- In Gen. 24:27, Abraham's servant says:  "I being in the way, the LORD led me..."  God led him to Rebekah as a wife for Isaac.  Now herein is a secret of the Christian life... get in the way... and God will lead you!  What was the way the servant followed?  A. He followed the word of Abraham   vs. 4 B. He followed along his journey in prayer  vs. 12-14 C. He followed along in worship  vs. 26 He was led by God to the right person, and the right place.  The key is to get in the way of God's will for your life and God will lead you to the specifics of your life.  Bible, Prayer, Church, Worship, Witnessing... and let God lead you in the rest! 3) DIG IN YOUR VALLEY- In Gen. 26, Isaac was having a hard time.  He was digging again the wells that his father Abraham had once dug, but as soon as they got them dug, the inhabitants of the land came out to claim them.  In verse 19 it says:  "And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water."  Water is throughout the Bible a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  The valley is your lowest in life.  If you will but dig in your valley, you will find the comfort of the Holy Spirit there.  Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be "a well of water springing up into everlasting life."  (Jn. 4:14)  This is just the same kind of well that Isaac's servants found.  "a well of springing water."  So dig in your valley dear Christian.  At your lowest point, find that God is not so far away as you thought.... dig a little and you will find His comfort springing up into your heart! 4) GOOD ADVICE-  In Gen. 31:16, Jacob got some good advice from his wives, Rachel and Leah.  They said to him:  "now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do."  Now that sounds familiar doesn't it?  Remember, the mother of Jesus said to the servants at the wedding:  John 2:5  "His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."  That is always good advice.  Deuteronomy 5:27  "Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it."   Whatever God tells us in His Word, or by His Spirit.... we should do!  Well, I've got to run for now.  I have so much more I wish I had time to share, but I have to get to the church soon.  May God bless you and this exciting new year of 2010!  Dr. Mike Mutchler, Pastor and Friend