New Year - Establishment
In Genesis 27, God spoke to Abram and confirmed His covenant, concerning his seed and His plan to make him the father of many nations. The requirement was for Abram to walk before God blamelessly and he would be multiplied. Abram’s name was also changed to Abraham which means ‘father of many nations.’ The covenant between God and Abraham would be for generations, as an everlasting covenant. They were promised the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession or inheritance. God required that Abraham circumcise all the males in his household as a sign of the covenant. Each male would be circumcised when they were eight days old and should also include servants. Sarai’s name was also be changed to Sarah, in reference to her matriarchal role as bearing Abraham’s seed.
Abraham tried to bargain with God to accept Ishmael, who was conceived out of Sarah and Abraham’s desire, to cause God’s promise to come to pass. “And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”” (Genesis 17:18) He also laughed at the notion, that he would have a child at 100 and from Sarah who was now 90. God confirmed that Sarah would have a son to be called Isaac and God’s covenant would be established with him forever. God also heard Abraham’s prayer and desire for Ishmael to be blessed and promised, that twelve great princes would come from him and he would be a great nation. God told Abraham that Sarah would give birth to Isaac in the next year. He finished speaking to Abraham and he took Ishmael and all the men in his household and had them circumcised.
In the next year, as God had promised, Isaac was born to fulfill and establish the covenant promise. “And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”” (Genesis 21:6) She also reflected on who would have thought that both her and Abraham would nurse children, given how advanced they were in age. The reality is that God is not bound by, limited or confined by time. It took faith for Abraham to inherit the promise, although so many years had passed. Peter reminded us in the New Testament that to God, one year is like 1,000 years and a 1,000 years is like a day. Furthermore, God is not slack or slow concerning his promises, but he is patient and does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:8-9). As we enter a new year, be expectant for God to establish his covenant promises to you.
God makes all things new and many of us will start this new year one way and end in a different way. God is always up to something new, including in our lives and circumstances. “Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19) Our past experiences and circumstances don’t define us and God is creating new beginnings and mercies daily. The creator of the universe makes all things new because He is the beginning and the end. There may be areas of our lives where we need a change and only a divine intervention from God can create the change that we need. Some of us experienced trials during the last year, but God will establish His covenant promises to us in this new year. Hold unto His promises, trust His words, believe that He can do the impossible and watch God establish His word.
“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” (I Peter 5:10)
Questions for Reflection:
1. What areas of your life do you require to see changes that you know needs supernatural help?
2. Do you trust God to step in and make what seems like an old life or situation new?
3. How does reading about how God kept his promise to Abraham and Sarah encourage you to keep trusting while you wait?
Anneta Pinto-Young -A.P.-Y.
