By Toni Ford
Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This is one of the many reasons I love the Word of God – it doesn’t matter how many times I read the same story in the Bible over and over, I always walk away with a new revelation. Why? Because the Bible will never be out of date, it will never die, and it will always be applicable for our lives and pierce our souls with truth!
Last week, I read a chapter that I have read numerous times before. Yet while reading Genesis 16, I experienced the exact words the author of Hebrews used when describing the Bible. It was as if the words to that chapter just jumped off the page and the Lord showed me new truths and insight I had never seen before. He showed me warnings and promises, and I encourage each of you to take some time and read the entire 16th chapter of Genesis.
Return and Submit. Things were not good between Hagar and Sarah, so much so that Hagar finally ran away because Sarah treated her so harshly. As Hagar was running away, however, verse 9 tells us that “The angel of the Lord said to her, ‘Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” This took great humility for Hagar to turn around and not only go back but to submit as well. The angel goes on to tell Hagar that if she will go back, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.” The Lord reminded me that nothing good comes from a prideful heart, and as we return and submit, He will bless us as a result of our obedience. We also see that our God is a God of second chances!
Blessings Seen and Unseen. God had promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child, and as a result, God would make Abraham the father of a multitude of nations. Through Abraham’s descendants, there would come many nations, and kings would be among those nations (Genesis 17: 3-6). Abraham saw the blessing of his son Isaac being born to him and Sarah, but he never saw the blessing of him becoming the father of many nations. That blessing was fulfilled and is still being fulfilled even today! Once again, the Lord reminded me that His promises to me are real and never end. Some promises I will see revealed in my lifetime and others might not be revealed until after I die and leave this earth, but regardless, His promises and blessings to me as a result of those promises remains the same.
Our God and His Word is faithful, and if we walk in faith trusting Him, there will be blessings both seen and unseen.
True Revelation. When Hagar ran away from Sarah and Abraham into the wilderness, she had an encounter, a revelation with the Lord. Genesis 16: 13 says, “Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.” She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” In her wilderness experience, Hagar not only saw God in a new way but saw herself in a new way. She saw herself as the Lord saw her – valuable, beautiful and worthy to return and be a part of that family once again. Revelation is personal, and Hagar experienced firsthand a personal encounter with the Lord that changed her life going forward!
Lord, today we thank you for Your Word and that ii will always remain active and alive. We ask for new and fresh revelation from You as a result of reading Your Word!