THE STORY OF ABRAHAM'S SEARCH FOR A CHILD - A LESSON IN FAITH

All over the world, there are married couples who are deep in search of the fruit of the womb. They have tried so many hospitals and traditional means of conceiving a baby all without success.

Every now and then we hear of a miracle - a couple whom God has blessed with a baby or babies after 5 or 10 or 15 or even 20 or more years of waiting!

The search for a baby in Africa and other developing nations usually assumes a frightening and desperate dimension because of wrong and sometimes superstitious beliefs in the community.

Women are usually taunted, rebuked, insulted and labelled all sorts of names all because of inability to conceive. The men on the other hand are usually spared such emotional torture because the belief is that it is the woman who is unable to bear a child to continue the man's genealogy.

The men are usually advised to go and try 'elsewhere', meaning take another wife or sleep with another woman so the man can have kids to continue his lineage. Little or no thought is given to the feelings of the man's wife at home.

The scenario I have just described is usually what happens amongst non-Christians.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to hear people who claim to be Christians give such advice to men whose wives are unable to bear children after years of waiting.

This is the reason I have decided to send today's message about Abraham of the Holy Bible, our father in faith for Christians. 

I will summarize the story of Abraham but I urge all to take out time to read about it in the Holy Bible, the Word of God - Genesis 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 21.

Abraham had been married to Sarah for many years without a child (Genesis 11:29-30). When Abram was 75 years of age, God Almighty who ALONE is able to do all things appeared to him, and promised to give him descendants as plenteous as the stars of heaven.

It is worthy of note that 11 years after God's promise and at the age of 85 when Abraham still did not have a child, Sarah, Abraham's wife, offered him her maid Hagar to sleep with to have a son called Ishmael (Gen.16).

However, God told Abraham that Ishmael was not the promised son because Sarah his wife was the one to bear the promised child (Gen.17). God then changed his name from Abram to Abraham (father of nations) and changed his wife's name from Sarai to Sarah.

Therefore, at God's appointed time when Abraham turned 100 years of age and Sarah his wife 90 years of age, God fulfilled His promise and gave them a son named Isaac or laughter (Genesis 21:1-7).

Dear friend, it took 25 years from when God made the promise to Abraham and his wife before God's promise was fulfilled. Recall this couple had been married for many years without a child before God made the promise.

And you would do well to note that the delay was not because God was struggling to fulfill His promise but because God’s time of fulfillment was the right time and is always the right time!

What is most important here is that God fulfilled His promise because He, God Almighty, is able to do ALL THINGS.

This is one lesson every Christian must learn. If God has said it whether in His Word, the Holy Bible or by Revelation through a Man of God, He will bring it to pass.

There is no need to try to help God as Sarah did by giving her maid Hagar to Abraham her husband to have a child.

As the Holy Bible says in Romans 4:3 "For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 

It is also written concerning Abraham in Romans 4:19-22 "And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead (since he was about a 100 years old) and the deadness of Sarah's womb."

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He (God) had promised He was also able to perform.

And therefore, it accounted to him (Abraham) for righteousness."  

Dear friend, the story of Abraham was written for us Christians to understand that God Almighty is able to do all things and when we believe, God will surely do for us what He has promised us in His Word, the Holy Bible and it would be accounted for us just as for Abraham as righteousness (Romans 4:23-24).

So, I ask you, young man or young woman who is married and reading this post, are you without child after many years of marriage? The story of Abraham our father in faith should guide you and inspire you to trust in God and never lose hope.

One thing I must warn you at this point is that unlike in Abraham's time when his wife Sarah acted in ignorance and gave her maid to sleep with her husband, anyone who tries such today is guilty of adultery, a sin before God Almighty.

As far as God's rule is concerned for marriage it is one man, one wife. So never you allow yourself, dear friend, to be mislead by wrong doctrines, wrong traditions and immoral advice given by men's wisdom that is an offence before God.

God who created us all is able to give us all things if we believe in what He has commanded. 

All He says is that we repent of sin and unrighteousness, confess them, accept the Messiah Jesus Christ as Saviour, believe that He, Jesus Christ, died for your sins and those of mankind, and obey DILIGENTLY, all God commands in His Word in the Holy Bible, and you can have whatsoever you desire and ask for in prayer to God by faith (Matthew 6:33-34; John 14:12-17).

Dear friend, God can give you that child you seek. Remember Abraham got his at age 100 and Sarah at age 90; therefore, if you say you are a Christian and trust in God, as long as you have not exceeded Abraham's age and your wife has not exceeded Sarah's age, there is nothing to fear concerning having children.

If you believe God, He will do it and do other things. On the other hand, satan, the father of lies, will want you to accept immoral advice and doctrines offensive to God so you can land in hell after living a miserable life here on earth to please human beings whilst looking for a child or children.

Please I urge you, obey God and His commands, and live a fulfilled life here on earth and enter eternity into heaven with Jesus Christ our Lord at death or rapture when Jesus will take those who belong to him as I have explained in preceding paragraphs.

The question, dear friend, is, do you believe? May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus' Most Precious Name, Amen.

Gabriel Ama.