A Timely Appearance

How does God get your attention? I wonder, if you notice a theme that repeats itself. For me, it’s birds. God has used various birds on different occasions to bring comfort and encouragement. One sunny morning on my back porch, as bird songs chirruped filling the air, I went inside to grab my journal and when I returned, I encountered a large red-shouldered hawk perching on the fence where my lawn sloped into a wooded area. Due to its sheer size, I stood breathlessly still. With a blink of its eye, it turned around showing off its soft white-spotted plumage, then spreading out its wings, quietly disappeared into the forest. Undeniably, I knew God sent it.

What was God saying?

I am here. I see you. I am in control. I am the same God who made Abraham a father of nations. I am the same God who caused Sarah, a post-menopausal woman, to become pregnant and give birth. I am the same God who made the sky blue, and if I can make the sky blue and the trees green, I can do what you ask. Just believe I AM.

God Appears

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Genesis 17:1-2 NIV

In response, Abram fell down before God. God continued to speak to him with a promise to make him not only a father, but a father of many. God affirmed this by changing his name to Abraham, for he would be very fruitful. God also promised to give Abraham the very land on which he was standing. Then he told Abraham the sign of this covenant. He was to circumcise the males in his household.

The covenant was an intentional sign of God’s loving faithful care in man’s flesh. God’s people were set a part by this sign and would be an example to all of the nations around them and eventually bring the gospel of God’s salvation through His Son, Jesus to all the world.

Then God renamed Abraham’s wife, Sarai to Sarah, from my princess to princess of nations. When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. Genesis 17:22 NIV

So Abraham obeyed God and took all of those born in his household or bought, and circumcised them. And as promised, Sarah delivered a baby the following year, at age ninety. And everyone laughed in the face of the odds.

What might God be revealing to you in the face of a hardship or relationship? Reflect on what has He done in your life.

Lord, help me to be attentive to your word, to prayer, and to the circumstances around me that align with your truth. Thank you for being a God who is timely, reliable, loving, and forgiving. Give me the grace to obey you in faith, as you draw me closer in intimacy with you.