He prayed much…..

 

“Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter

of Bethuel the Aramean of Padan-aram, the sister of Laban the

Aramean. “

Genesis 25:20

 

What happens when you don’t have all the answers to the

problems in your life?

There will be times we will come up against impossible odds,

situations we will be completely powerless against.

Isaac was blessed with an incredible woman by God but she

was barren! God led Abraham’s servant to her family. There

is an entire chapter (Genesis 24) dedicated to the servant

finding Isaac’s wife! There can be no argument she was the one

but she was barren……

The only explanation I could think of for that was, God had a plan.

He wasn’t caught off guard by Rebekah’s barreness.

Let’s read the next verse;

 

“And Isaac prayed much to the Lord for his wife because she was

unable to bear children;

and the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife

became pregnant.”

Genesis 25:21

 

At face value the impossible situation in Isaac’s life was

resolved so easily. Isaac prayed, God heared and answered

his prayer. Lesson learned!

But it goes much deeper than that. Let’s take a look.

 

“Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand grasped Esau’s

heel; so he was named Jacob [supplanter]. Isaac was sixty years

old when she gave birth to them. “

Genesis 25:26

 

Jacob got married at forty right. According to their culture I

don’t think it took long for them to try to have a baby.

Let’s give it maybe a year.

If that is the case, Isaac prayed for nineteen years give

or take for a baby!

Isaac prayed much, the word tells us and he got his answer.

What is it like praying for something that long?

Who knows the things Isaac and Rebekah faced as they

trusted God for their baby?

Just know this, it took about nineteen years for Isaac to

get an answer to his prayer. He never gave up on God.

He never lost hope, instead he prayed much!

I am encouraged as I read their story because there are

things I have been praying for for a long time.

 

So let’s go back to that impossible sitution I was talking about

in the beginning of the post.

It’s not a mistake you are going through what you are going

through just like it was not a mistake when Isaac married

Rebekah even though she was barren.

God was very much in the know about that and He had a plan.

All I would say to you today is, don’t give up. God has a plan.

Isaac didn’t complain or murmur about his problem, he

prayed much!

Are you praying “much” in your impossible situation?

That could be the answer.

 

Be encouraged, be hopeful, because God sees what you are

facing. He has the answer and He will not let you down!

Pray much…..

 

Rolain

 

photo credit: google images

 

 

Is there hope for the world?

Is there hope for the world? The world has really lost it’s way or maybe it’s always been like this but I never noticed. As I have asked this question there is another question that must be asked. Can we as Christians do anything to make a change? I read a scripture a few days ago that has made me think about this:

“And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again only this once. Suppose ten [righteous people] shall be found there. And [the Lord] said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

And the Lord went His way when He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.” Genesis 18:32, 33

We all know the story. Abraham started at fifty people and kept on asking God if He would spare the city till he got to ten and yes, God would spare the city if there were at least ten righteous people. That brings me to my next point. I think God would preserve them not only because He was a just and fair God but because He knew that ten people would be enough to turn that city around! In fact, I don’t think God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah!!!!! I know it is a crazy thought but hear me out. I say that because of Ezekiel 33:11. It says,

Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

I know this verse was directed to Israel but it also revealed God’s heart concerning the wicked. Judgement will come for the wicked but before it does He gives them a chance to turn from their wicked ways!!!

Then another thought came to me. If ten people was enough for God to use, how much more can He do now? There are more than ten Christians in each city, town, community, state. As Christians we can make a difference if we ask for God’s help. This is a challenge for all of us. I know there are Christians doing big things for God and we salute them. This post is to honour them and encourage the rest to stand up and do their part and to let people know there is hope for the world. A lot of people will die without knowing God but we must each do our part to save as many……..We are the “ten” God has called. The world may think there is no hope but there is. They may think God has turned His back on them but He hasn’t. There is still hope…..! We are in the last few minutes of the game and every second counts. God in His love and mercy made it possible. The game is not over. There is still hope…….

Rolain

 

I see nations……

Last year I started speaking about how God sees nations when He looks at us. We were not put on this earth just to live for ourselves. The picture, the plan is so much bigger than we could ever imagine! Abraham’s story is an amazing one. In Genesis 17:1 it says,

When Abram was ninety nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete).

As we read this chapter we see Abram who was 99 years old get an amazing promise. His life seemed like it was over but it was not. He was past the age of bearing children or so it seemed, but it was only the beginning….God was saying things like:

As for Me, behold, My covenant (solemn pledge) is with you, and you shall be the father of many nations. Genesis 17:4

And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. Genesis 17:6

And God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall therefore keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. Genesis 17:9

To the outsider it looked like things were pretty much finished. Abram’s life was almost over but that was not the case. God had a plan….What is also interesting to note is, yes God said He would bless Abram but God was thinking hundreds of years ahead!!! He had a plan for his posterity…And that is how God thinks. We see the same pattern in the life of King David. He had a desire to build a house for God but God wouldn’t let him because of the blood he had shed but look at the promise He made to him because he had the desire:

4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. “‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”

17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.           2 Samuel 7: 4-17

Yes, He has a plan for you but He also has a plan for your posterity! I get so excited when I hear that God has blessed my children within me. I am just the beginning, the introduction to the real story that is about to unfold! I didn’t come from a Christian background. My parents brought me up the best they knew how, they even sent me to church when I was a child!!! I thank God for that. So in a way I am paving a new way, setting a new path. You might think its all over but don’t believe the lies. God has so much more in store for you. The other thing I would like you to start doing is seeing yourself as a nation because that is how God sees you!!!  God has a plan for you and your posterity. Your life is just the introduction to a much greater and wonderful story.  Let us be like David who prepared all that Solomon needed to build the house of God. David used the relationships he had, the resources he had to make sure his son would accomplish what God had called him to do. We need to do the same thing King David did. Even if you are single, what you do now matters. Let us look to God to help us………Amen!

Rolain

The Truth About Your Life…..

THOUGHT OF THE DAY.

Lord, make me to know my end and [to appreciate] the measure of my days – what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am [how transient is my stay here]. Behold, You have made my days as [short as] handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight. Truly every man at his best is merely a breath! Selah [pause and calmly think of that]! Surely every man walks to and fro – like a shadow in a pantomime; surely for futility and emptiness he is in turmoil; each one heaps up riches, not knowing who will gather them.          Psalm 39: 4-6 

I have spoken on this scripture before but it has been on my mind lately. Do you realize just how fleeting our lives are? The word says, “every man at his best is merely a breath“! Our lives are not as long as we think they are!! Think about this. Adam lived a total of 930 years (Genesis 4:5) but even his life was just a breath!!! If his life was merely a breath all 930 years of it, just imagine yours??!! I hope you are beginning to see just how fleeting your life is. “My lifetime is as nothing in Your sight”, it goes on to say!!!! The problem is we act like we have all the time in the world when we don ‘t. Are you doing things that count? 60, 70, 80 years is really not that long. It is just a breath!

It is important to know how fleeting your life is so you can treat life with the respect it deserves!! When you know time is short you begin to see things differently. The important things of life become very clear to see. Grudges are forgotten about, people are forgiven, time is used wisely. My goal is to open your eyes to just how important the time God has given you is. Make your life count. Spend the time you have doing things that matter…….

Rolain