Mon., 1/20/14 Devotion (Gen. 21:1)

Today's encouragement comes from Genesis 21:1, where we read these words:

"And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken."

Sarah had to wait a long time to get what she wanted, and for what she had undoubtedly often petitioned God concerning, (namely, a child--whom she got, in Isaac). Had God given Sarah what she desired earli-er, when she so earnestly sought for it--it would have been a disaster for Sarah (and for the rest of the world, too). She was not particularly "patient," but the Lord overlooked that, and was gracious to her.

What is it that we have long and ardently "sought for"?  Let us not lose hope; and let us not give up.  If this desire is God-honoring, we should continue to wait for the Lord, and not cease to continue to ask Him for it.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Q. What is the liberty of the gospel? A. It is a blessed liberty in the church to have true liberty opened, the charter of our liberty." --Richard Sibbes, in, "Glorious Freedom"]