Trusting God's Timing: Lessons from Abraham and Sarah

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Your Divine Calling

A calling from God is an inner spiritual nudge towards a particular course of action, often accompanied by a conviction of divine influence. This calling can manifest in various forms, not just in preaching but in any vocation or profession where one feels led by God. It requires us to be open and receptive to God's guidance in our lives. Understanding and embracing this calling means recognizing that God has a unique purpose for each of us, and it is our responsibility to seek and follow His direction.

In the story of Abram and Sarai, we see how they were called to leave their homeland and embark on a journey of faith. This calling was not just about physical relocation but about trusting in God's promise and plan for their lives. Similarly, our divine calling may require us to step out of our comfort zones and trust in God's plan, even when it is not fully clear to us. By being open to God's guidance, we can fulfill the purpose He has for us. [25:03]

Isaiah 30:21 (ESV): "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you feel a nudge or calling from God? How can you take a step today to follow that calling?

Day 2: Trusting in God's Timing

The story of Abraham and Sarah highlights the human tendency to be impatient with God's timing. Despite God's promise, they tried to take matters into their own hands, leading to complications. This teaches us the importance of trusting in God's timing and not rushing His plans. When we become impatient, we often make decisions that lead to unnecessary complications and hardships.

Abraham and Sarah's impatience led to the birth of Ishmael through Hagar, which caused strife and tension within their family. However, God remained faithful to His promise and eventually blessed them with Isaac. This narrative reminds us that God's timing is perfect, and His plans are always for our good. Trusting in His timing means waiting patiently and believing that He will fulfill His promises in His perfect time. [30:55]

Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV): "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you are struggling with impatience. How can you practice trusting in God's timing and waiting for His perfect plan to unfold?

Day 3: Relinquishing Control to God

True faith requires us to relinquish our desires and fully trust in God's promises. Abraham and Sarah's journey shows that when we try to control God's plans, we often create more problems. Instead, we should allow God's Spirit to lead us where He wants us to go. Relinquishing control means surrendering our own plans and desires and trusting that God's ways are higher and better than our own.

In our lives, we may face situations where we feel the need to take control and make things happen according to our own understanding. However, true faith involves letting go and allowing God to take the lead. By doing so, we can experience the peace and assurance that comes from knowing that God is in control and that His plans for us are good. [42:14]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are trying to maintain control? How can you surrender this area to God and trust in His guidance?

Day 4: Experiencing God's Faithfulness

Despite our impatience and attempts to control, God remains faithful to His promises. He reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham and Sarah, showing that He does not abandon us even when we falter. This reassures us that God's promises are steadfast and reliable. God's faithfulness is a constant reminder that He is always with us, guiding and supporting us through every situation.

Abraham and Sarah's story is a testament to God's unwavering faithfulness. Even when they doubted and took matters into their own hands, God did not abandon them. Instead, He fulfilled His promise and blessed them with Isaac. This narrative encourages us to trust in God's faithfulness, knowing that He will always keep His promises and provide for us in ways that exceed our expectations. [42:49]

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God's faithfulness in your life. How can this memory strengthen your trust in His promises today?

Day 5: Being Still and Knowing God

Psalm 46 reminds us to be still and know that God is in control. In our busy lives, we often forget to pause and listen for God's voice. Taking time to be still and reflect on God's presence can help us align with His will and trust in His plans. Being still means creating space in our lives to connect with God, to listen to His voice, and to experience His peace.

In the midst of our daily routines and responsibilities, it is easy to become overwhelmed and lose sight of God's presence. However, by intentionally setting aside time to be still and focus on God, we can gain a deeper understanding of His character and His plans for us. This practice helps us to cultivate a sense of peace and assurance, knowing that God is in control and that we can trust Him with every aspect of our lives. [46:06]

Psalm 46:10 (ESV): "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Reflection: How can you create a moment of stillness in your day today to connect with God and listen for His voice? What might God be trying to say to you in this moment of stillness?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Tonight, we delved into the story of Abram and Sarai, later known as Abraham and Sarah, from the book of Genesis. We explored the theme of God's calling and the human tendency to be impatient with God's timing. We began by reflecting on the nature of a divine calling, which is an inner spiritual nudge towards a particular course of action, often accompanied by a conviction of divine influence. This calling can manifest in various forms, not just in preaching but in any vocation or profession where one feels led by God.

We then examined the narrative of Abram and Sarai, who were called by God to leave their homeland and promised that they would become the ancestors of a great nation. Despite this promise, they struggled with impatience and tried to take matters into their own hands, leading to the birth of Ishmael through Hagar, Sarai's slave. However, God reaffirmed His covenant with them, changing their names to Abraham and Sarah and promising that they would have a son, Isaac, through whom the covenant would be established.

This story teaches us the importance of patience and trust in God's timing. We often want to rush God's plans and take control, but true faith requires us to relinquish our desires and fully trust in God's promises. The Psalm 46 passage we read emphasizes the need to be still and know that God is in control, a lesson that Abraham and Sarah had to learn through their journey.

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Key Takeaways

1. Understanding Divine Calling: A calling from God is an inner spiritual nudge towards a particular course of action, often accompanied by a conviction of divine influence. It can manifest in various forms, not just in preaching but in any vocation or profession where one feels led by God. This calling requires us to be open and receptive to God's guidance in our lives. [25:03]
2. Impatience with God's Timing: The story of Abraham and Sarah highlights the human tendency to be impatient with God's timing. Despite God's promise, they tried to take matters into their own hands, leading to complications. This teaches us the importance of trusting in God's timing and not rushing His plans. [30:55]
3. Relinquishing Control: True faith requires us to relinquish our desires and fully trust in God's promises. Abraham and Sarah's journey shows that when we try to control God's plans, we often create more problems. Instead, we should allow God's Spirit to lead us where He wants us to go. [42:14]
4. God's Faithfulness: Despite our impatience and attempts to control, God remains faithful to His promises. He reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham and Sarah, showing that He does not abandon us even when we falter. This reassures us that God's promises are steadfast and reliable. [42:49]
5. Being Still and Knowing God: Psalm 46 reminds us to be still and know that God is in control. In our busy lives, we often forget to pause and listen for God's voice. Taking time to be still and reflect on God's presence can help us align with His will and trust in His plans. [46:06]
### [46:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[21:53] - Introduction and Call to Worship
[23:03] - Recap of Previous Sermons
[24:14] - Introduction to Abram and Sarai
[25:03] - Understanding Divine Calling
[26:58] - The Nature of Calling
[28:07] - Personal Reflections on Calling
[30:55] - Impatience with God's Timing
[32:10] - Personal Experiences of Impatience
[33:36] - Genesis 12:1-3 - God's Promise to Abram
[34:28] - Genesis 15:1-6 - Abram's Doubts
[35:13] - Genesis 16:1-4 - Sarai's Plan
[36:02] - Genesis 17:1-8 - God's Covenant with Abraham
[38:02] - Genesis 17:15-22 - Promise of Isaac
[39:57] - Lessons from Abraham and Sarah
[42:14] - Relinquishing Control
[46:06] - Being Still and Knowing God
[49:26] - Conclusion and Final Reflections
[61:38] - Closing Song and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What specific promises did God make to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3?
How did Abram respond to God's promise in Genesis 15:1-6, and what was God's reassurance to him? [33:36]
What significant changes did God make to Abram and Sarai's identities in Genesis 17:1-8, and what was the purpose of these changes? [36:50]
How did Sarai's impatience manifest in Genesis 16:1-4, and what were the immediate consequences? [35:13]

Interpretation Questions

What does Abram's initial doubt in Genesis 15:1-6 reveal about human nature when it comes to trusting God's promises? [34:28]
How does the change of names from Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah in Genesis 17:1-8 symbolize a deeper covenant with God? [37:30]
In what ways does the story of Abram and Sarai illustrate the dangers of taking matters into our own hands instead of waiting on God's timing? [41:26]
How does Psalm 46, as referenced in the sermon, reinforce the lesson of being still and trusting in God's control? [46:06]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt a calling or nudge from God. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? [25:03]
Have you ever been impatient with God's timing in your life? What were the consequences, and how did you eventually see God's plan unfold? [30:55]
What are some practical ways you can relinquish control and fully trust in God's promises, especially in areas where you tend to take matters into your own hands? [42:14]
How can you create moments of stillness in your daily routine to better listen for God's voice and align with His will? [46:06]
Think of a situation where you are currently struggling to trust God's timing. What steps can you take this week to surrender that situation to God and trust in His faithfulness? [42:49]
How can you support others in your small group or community who are struggling with impatience or control issues in their spiritual journey? [39:57]
Identify one specific promise from God that you find difficult to trust. What scripture or prayer can you use to remind yourself of God's faithfulness in that area? [38:33]

Sermon Clips

1. "God calls us to move, but we fear the unknown. God calls us to move, but movement can be uncomfortable. God calls us to move. So we move, trusting that God goes with us, preparing the way." [21:53] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "What is a calling, not just, you know, nobody picks up the phone anymore, so not like a phone call or, you know, something over a loudspeaker or anything like that, but truly an inward nudging spiritual calling is defined this way. A strong inner impulse toward a particular. Course of action, especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence, the vocation or profession in which one customarily engages." [25:03] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "One author states that a calling from God is a wholesale relinquishment of all other loves. It's the prerequisite to walking fully in friendship. With God. Acknowledging and discerning and living into a call is setting aside all these other things in which we think we should be doing and fully walking in relationship with God." [28:07] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "How creative and awesome that God might be using you for something you just don't know yet. That's so cool. One author states that a calling from God is a wholesale relinquishment of all other loves. It's the prerequisite to walking fully in friendship. With God. Acknowledging and discerning and living into a call is setting aside all these other things in which we think we should be doing and fully walking in relationship with God." [28:07] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "And so this full relinquishment of ourselves to live into the fullness of God's calling is not trying to do what it is I want to do and fix what I want to fix. But allowing the full movement of God's spirit to lead me where God wants me to go." [29:35] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "If you ask anybody that is a pastor or a preacher, or some type of Christian educator, and you ask them about their call into that niche part of ministry, they're probably going to tell you that they were aggravated at some point with God, annoyed with how slow sometimes God acts to give you everything that you want right then and there." [32:10] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "In pushing things forward at his own pace, Abraham has to deal with the devastating consequences of this selfish decision. A lesson many of us have had to learn through life when we take word from God and try to fulfill it in our own way. The result is usually damage for us and as we see in Abraham's story, in this case, even more damage to others. And yet, as we see with Abraham, God will not give up on us." [43:39] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "The fact is, when we hear a call from God, the fact is, when we discern, when we cultivate with others that call, whatever that may be, at some point in that, we're going to want to try and fulfill it in our way. And really, that's straying from the way in which God is trying to lead us in the right way." [44:32] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Sometimes we just need to shut up. To be still and patient with the promise from God. Psalm 46 says this, God is our refuge and strength, mighty and impenetrable. A very present and well-proved help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its roaring." [46:06] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "If there's one thing that we can take away tonight is to know just a few things, that somehow God is working on you. God is calling you. Be still, be still. Listen and follow that lead and try not to, as much as we want to, take control of God." [49:26] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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