January 5, 2025 -God of the Impossible

GENESIS 15:1-17:27

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Abram had faith and trusted in God and was willing to believe even the ridiculous. What promises of God do you need to work on believing? Why do you think you struggle with believing it? Is it something that seems impossible? He is faithful and does what He says. He is God of the impossible. Put your faith in Him and believe He can and He will and it will be credited to you as righteousness. After all isn't that what faith in Jesus is all about. Trusting and believing in Jesus is the only way that we can be seen as righteousness. In the moment that we believe in Him we are credited with His righteousness.

Genesis 15:13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.

Here we see what God says will happen and it did. But not until after Joseph dies. So Abraham's generation, Isacc's generation, Jacob's generation and Joseph's generation all died before the 12 tribes of Israel were put into slavery in Egypt for 400 years. Just as God said. So just because you are not seeing the end results of what God has said doesn't mean it isn't true. I would bet that the Israelites who were in captivity were starting to feel like getting out of their situation was impossible. But their God is the God of the impossible. All these stories that we are reading about are example after example of the reliability and faithfulness of God. There are plenty of good things that He promised that come true but we can see that even the unpleasant things had a purpose. If you are going through struggles know that you are not alone. Just as God heard the Israelites crying out to Him from captivity, He hears you as you cry out to Him. And just like in Abram's time He knew where you were going to be 4 generation and more before you experienced any of it. Just as He prepared Moses, the Israelites and even the Egyptians for things to work out for their exodus from Egypt and their journey to the promised land He is preparing you and others to free you from your captivity. Even if it is feeling impossible. Just as He told Abram this would happen so that the Israelites could look back and say yes, He did say that, and it did happen, we have been given promises from Him. We may not have specific prophecies for our individual lives but we have promises all through God's word that He can and will use to communicate to us if we will listen. So poor you heart out to God. You can be honest with Him. But in the end don't try to tell Him what to do just trust that He already has it worked out and trust His timing.

I am continuing to pray for the healing of land as I pray and fast for 3 hours today. I am grateful that prayer includes reading God's word and listening to Him. As I am reminded of the faithfulness of God and His perfect timing. My prayer for our land is that He would lead His people the Christians out of captivity from the ungodly and evil ideals of this world. That He would prepare us for the struggles ahead and prepare the way for whatever purpose He has for us in the healing of our land. Even if that healing does not come until Jesus returns, I know that our God who is the God of the impossible can and will accomplish exactly what needs to be done and I believe that truth. May it be credited to me as righteousness in Jesus Name.

Genesis 16:12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;

    his hand will be against everyone

    and everyone’s hand against him,

and he will live in hostility

    toward all his brothers.”

Ishmael will be a "wild donkey of a man". He and all his people will be in conflict with everyone they meet. Ishmael's people are believed to be the people of the Arab nations, and they have been in constant conflict. There has never been a time when they have not been against other nations especially Israel and there has never been a time when there were not nations against them. So again we see the truth of God's word.

Genesis 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.

God honors Abraham's desire for Ishmael to be blessed and promises to make him into a great nation which He does. How interesting is it that he is the father of 12 who all rule their own people. Just as the 12 tribes of Judah come from Israel.

As we read all these stories again, I am thinking that there is not really any reason for God to tell them all these things are going to happen other than so that they can see the power and sovereignty of our great God. And so that we can see the same thing. So don't read these stories of the father's of our faith as though you have read them a thousand times before but read them as though your heavenly father is giving you a window into who He is. All powerful, all knowing, sovereign God of the impossible and listen for what He would have to say to you and believe it.