The Cloud of Witnesses
Former title Lessons From the People of the Bible
Set 1Available for NZ$25 + shipping. Enquire at the email address at the bottom of the page. These lessons are also available as PDFs (with the number of lessons in brackets). Abraham (5) — David (5) — Esther (4) — Gideon (5) — Isaac (6) — Jacob (7) — Job (6) — John the Baptist (6) — Jonah (4) — Jonathan (6) — Joseph (10) — Joseph of Nazareth (6) — Mary (4) — Mary Magdalene (4) — Mary of Bethany (3) — Moses (5) — Nehemiah (8) — Nicodemus (4) — Noah (6) — Paul the Apostle (5) — Peter (5) — Philip (4) — Ruth (7) — King Saul (6) — Stephen (6) — Thomas (4)Download the complete set 1 as PDFs (2.46 MB).The lessons of set 1 are also available as individual online lessons below. |
Set 2Available for NZ$25 + shipping. Enquire at the email address at the bottom of the page. These lessons are available as PDFs (with the number of lessons in brackets). These PDFs have not yet been updated to the new name. Andrew (7) — Caleb (7) — Daniel (7) — Elijah (6) — Elisha (5) — Isaiah (21) — John (22) — Joshua (16) — Leah (2) — Luke (22) — Mary Magdalene (3) — Matthew (9) — Miriam (4) — Nahum (2) — Rachel (6) — Rebekah (5) — Samson (5)Download the complete set 2 as PDFs (1.85 MB). |
Abraham
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Lesson 3: Abraham – The Promised Child Arrives
Reading
Genesis 21.
God’s promises are sure and certain
The Impossible happened! The baby arrived! The old man and the old woman became parents! Sarah (Sarai) was so happy she couldn’t stop laughing and all who heard of the birth joined in!
The child that had been promised so very long ago was now lying in Sarah’s arms crying. How could it be? Who is this God we are trying to follow? How can He do these impossible miraculous things? And why, oh why did He choose us?
How kind, gracious and forgiving He is. Even after we took ‘life’ into our own hands, He still forgave us and brought us to the point of utter exhilaration.
How blessed we are! Yes, His promises are true and trustworthy – it’s us that have doubts, not God! He is able to do far more abundantly than we could ever imagine or dream of!
How would you feel if you were Abraham or Sarah? Overjoyed and a little apprehensive too, I guess? A baby is seemingly fragile enough without the parental care being 100 years old! No doubt they ‘sterilised’ everything and put up barriers around him to make sure that no harm befell him. If God had entrusted the baby to them, the least they could do was make sure they did everything physically possible to protect him from every harm or accident!
Did you notice how when God’s timing finally arrived, the result was beyond description in its magnitude and significance? We so often want to settle for the mediocre or at best second best, not realising that what God has planned defies description.
What are you waiting for God to do? Hang in there – HE WILL DO IT!
Abraham would say to us today...
Have patience and wait for God! Take it from me, His ways are awesome and His timing is perfect.
Prayer
Father, You truly are amazing! Please help me to not settle for second best. Thank You that every promise of Yours is available to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Please help us live in the Victory He won at Calvary and appropriate all Your promises for Your glory. Amen.
Additional readings
1 Samuel 1:1-28; Isaiah 9:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25.
Questions
What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you since you became a Christian?
Why are children so precious to us?
Do you still pray for your children everyday?
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