This post is Day 23 in a series of studies about “Surprises”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today. (The form is at the bottom of the page).

Surprises – Day 23

One of the biggest disappointments in the life of Abraham was not having children. Abraham was already 75 when he received the call of God for his life to father a great nation! He then travelled many long distances, all the time expecting his wife Sarah to announce her pregnancy.

Genesis 15:2-4

Abram said “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children, so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the Lord came to him, “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”

The Thought

One of Abraham’s biggest disappointments was no children. It is the same for many today, but in our modern scientific era there is often (but not always) the success of IVF.

Abraham was already 75 when he received the call of God for his life to father a great nation (Genesis 12)! He then travelled many long distances, all the time expecting his wife Sarah to announce her pregnancy. That didn’t happen. And naturally Abraham became disheartened. He doubted that he had heard correctly although God confirmed it several times with many promises for the nation that would come from his seed.

In chapter 18 we read of the angelic visitors (one of whom was The Lord) coming with the message that within a year Sarah would hold Abraham’s baby in her arms.

There are many surprises we can identify in this story. But one of the biggest in the Bible is the actual birth of Isaac when his parents were both a long way past childbearing age.

Truly we have a God of miracles.

Action

Read some of Abraham’s story today (Genesis chapters 12-15) and be blessed by the surprises contained there. The visitations, the miracles, the doubts which were banished, the forgiveness, the episodes where Abraham reacted like any other man would and the fact that none of that stopped God from doing what He said He would do.

Pray today for any you know who have not been able to bear children or for those who are still trying to reproduce.

For a full list of online studies available on this site, please click here.

If there is a subject you would like to see on this site, please use the comment section below or drop us an email (there’s a link at the very top of the page). We can’t promise to cover them all, and our studies are usually prepared a month or two in advance, so please be patient.

For a full list of physical resources available through this site, please click here.