21:1 "The Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken." The beauty about answered prayers is that when they arrive, we can be assured that they have arrive in perfection: in the time and condition chosen by God and tailored to us. Abraham and Sarah had prayed vehemently for a child. They desired to produce life and to love their creation. Prayers rooted in manifesting life and love are precious to God and He is thrilled to both receive and answer them. Yet and fortunately, He will not do so hastily. God does not rush the business of answering prayers. He prepares you. He prepares the gift. He prepares the conditions under which the gift (prayer) reaches you. God ensures that when you receive what you have been praying for, you are ready for it. Ready to appreciate it. Ready to retain and maintain it. Ready to understand it. Ready to nourish it.
Humans are not naturally abundant in patience. It is a learned and developed virtuous behavior. Especially in our current generation, we are accustomed to instant gratification. But God puts quality over everything else. He will never present you with an impromptu or makeshift answered prayer. He's going to truly decorate your gift with surprises you do not even know you wanted or needed. He's going to draw our your inspiration and your passion. If we are willing to employ patience and trust, He's going to curate our happiness and fulfillment. The gift He finally presents to us in His chosen time will make us laugh at our original request.
21:2 And with that, laughter is born to Sarah and Abraham: their son Issac is born. Issac meaning laughter. Issac's foretold conception inspired laugh as did his birth. Remember that Sarah laughed in good-natured disbelief when God promised her a child. Her human mind could only see the limitations: I am too old. My husband is too old. It's too late. Basically she did what we do: she listed all the reasons why it could not happen or was unlikely to happen. We frustrate and depress ourselves thinking that we aren't smart enough or young enough or beautiful enough, charismatic enough, capable enough... whatever it is, we impose limitations on our dreams and prayers.
We forget an essential element: We have a limitless God. All of the ways an avenues we cannot see or conceive of are clear as daylight to Him. Our created is creation, is science. He knows how to wield it. He knows how to construct the life and elements of life that will bless His children with their prayers.
21:3-5 Abraham and Sarah raise Isaac in faith for their (our) God from His very conception and birth. They keep with the health recommendation of circumcision. They name their baby after laughter as God foretold.
21:6-7 Now with an infant child, in a moment of reflection Sarah remembers her laughter. She laughs again at the miracle and incredulity of the answered prayer she holds in her arms. She spent so much of her life disbelieving and discouraged that her dream could ever become reality... and yet, there he was. Isaac came in perfect time. In the time God knew he could grow and thrive in health and love and faith.
Through your own faith you will experience the same incredulity as Sarah. For the endurance of your faith and patience will inevitable reward you with your deepest prayers. Wait, blissfully wait for your prayers knowing that in the time you do not have them, God has them and is perfecting them for you. It takes awhile because He's working on something massive.
21:8 Isaac began to grow and Abraham retained the same love and passion he had for his gift. Abraham never diminished in gratitude or awe at his answered prayer, his child. He celebrated the moments of growth and achievement in his life. We have the blessed responsibility of caring for the answered prayers we receive. Be they a child, a job, an experience, a talent, an opportunity... whatever it is that you pray for, cherish it. Remember always the miracle of having received it.
21:9-10 Sarah loved her child so much. But Sarah, like us, was not perfect. She began to resent Hagar and Ishmael even though it was because of her own actions that they became a part of her life. She wanted only her own family unit in their home: Herself, Abraham and Isaac.
21:11 Abraham was hurt and torn for he had love for both of his children. And yet he had a responsibility to his wife. What did Abraham do in his moment of conflict? He spoke to God, of course. He spoke to the divine entity who can solve the problems we humans think are unsolvable.
21:12-13 God makes another promise to Abraham: He will take care of both sons. Isaac was born through God's own divine-wielded and had thus inherited a great purpose of faith. But God's love is impartial. Even though Isaac's birth was arranged by Him and Ishmael's was not, God ensured that Ishmael would be cared for. Would be the forefather of a nation just as Isaac would be.
21:14-16 And so Hagar and Ishmael embarked on their own journey, separate from Sarah and Abraham. At inception, the journey was not an easy one. Hagar even feared at a certain point that she and her child would die. In her deepest moment of weakness, she prayed. And so did Ishmael.
21:17 God heard their prayers. They requested His presence in their life and immediately they received Him. God awaits our invitation. He has given us complete freedom, He does not impose faith on us. Hagar and Ishmael invited Him into their lives. Recall 2 Corinthians 12:10, when are are at our weakest is when God is at His strongest for us. Hagar and Ishmael reached a point of weakness where they were ready to give control over to God, who is so much more capable than we are.
Do not fear. God implores Hagar and Ishmael to release their fears because He cradles them in His arms. Just as He cradles you. With Him, there is nothing to fear. He has no barrier, no boundary, no limit, no darkness, no adversary... release your fears and let Him fill in those spaces with blessings.
21:18 Arise. God's love encourages us to stand up, figuratively. To have courage and hope. To stand with strength and faith and love and to never shrink to fear. Arise he tells Hagar and Ishmael, grand blessings await them. Ishmael's blessings with amount to a nation. He and we are loved by the emphasis of the universe. Arise and walk toward your blessings. God has secured them in your path... but you must walk in patience and faith through the time and experience it takes to get to them.
21:19 Immediately God refreshed them. He is our metaphorical water, the element of life of which we are most made of. The element we cannot live without. He rejuvenates their mind, body and soul. He provides for them and us the sustenance we need to keep striving toward our dreams and goals and passions and prayers.
21:20-21 Ishmael and Hagar began to develop a life for themselves, outside of the shadow of being unwanted by Sarah in her house. They began the journey in fear because they could not see beyond the present. Beyond the limits. God encourages us to explore. Had Ishmael and Hagar never left the home of Abraham they would have never had their own home, their own nation. They were no longer in the background, they came to the forefront.
Hagar thought her life was over. She thought her son's life was over. She all but gave up... but before she did, she prayed to God. Suddenly she left a directionless chaos and began to walk His ordered and blessed path. Moment by moment they allowed themselves to be led to the beautiful future God envisioned for them.
21:22-24 Abimelech requests that from now and forward Abraham remain honest with him. He asks Abraham to return the kindness he has received. Abraham promises to do so.
Be honest and a person of your word. As a child of God, you do not need to deal deceitfully or manipulatively with others. God is protecting you from all sides providing your the wisdom and kill and perception life requires, therefore do your work of honoring that protection: be compassionate with others. Continue on the flow of His love... what comes into you, express out into the world.
21:25-31 There is a misunderstanding regarding a dug well between Abraham and Abimelech and so together they work through a fair solution. They settle their disagreement without violence or hatred. They communicate. They create the conditions under which both are justly and fairly treated.
21:32-34 Dispute resolved, Abraham and Abimelech both lived their separate lives peacefully. Abraham, as he always does, remains committed and grateful to his faith. Ensuring that his love for God is present in all circumstances of his life. For wherever we invite God in, there we find blessing.
