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Genesis 17: 3-9
When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”
God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”
The Word of the Lord.
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Throughout scripture, God does what seems impossible, prompting us to believe that anything can happen – even in our own lives.
In our first reading, God promises Abraham that he will make him a father of nations, whose descendants shall be as numberless as the stars.
What makes this promise so improbable is the fact that Abraham is already one-hundred years old…and his wife, Sara, is ninety and barren.
After God made this promise, Abraham literally broke out in laughter – likely as a sign of doubt… or, perhaps, inexpressible joy.
When their son was born, he was appropriately named Isaac – in Hebrew, Yishaq – meaning, “laughter.”
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Today, more than half the world – nearly four billion people – consider Abraham their father in faith.
That’s four-billion proofs of a promise kept.
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Think of other promises God has made.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven,” Jesus says, “whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
Or, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14).
May we take the Lord at his word, trusting that he keeps his promises, waiting patiently until they are answered.
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Image credits: (1) Bible Baptist Church (2) Dale A. Brueggemann (3) Pinterest