An Unexpected Gift

What will you be doing when you are 99? While the average life expectancy has increased to 76 for men and 81 for women, most of us cannot begin to imagine what happens in today’s passage. God appears to Abram, just before his 100th birthday, and tells him that he will be the “father of many nations” (v. 4).

God precedes that surprising announcement with a few statements. First, He declares that He is “God Almighty” (v. 1). The name God Almighty comes from the Hebrew El-Shaddai, meaning “sufficient” or “enough.” Another definition suggests that we serve a “bountiful” or “exuberant” God. Before God makes this announcement to Abram, He reminds him that He is more than enough to supply Abram’s needs and to give more than expected.

Second, He instructs Abram to “walk before me faithfully and be blameless” (v. 2). Abram should continue to walk with God and follow Him. At age 99, his life was not over—God had plans to bless him with an extended family.

God gave Abram a new name, Abraham (v. 5). Sarai became Sarah (v. 15). Their new names marked this important moment, as God promised the unexpected, to make them the father and mother of “nations” (vv. 6, 16).

What an astonishing gift: to learn in their old age that they would receive what seemed impossible—the gift of a child. Their dream of one child was multiplied beyond their imagination. Notice the response of the couple to God’s promise. In verse 17, Abraham fell down and laughed! Certainly this was a shocking and unbelievable promise. God does not work in ways we expect, but He is able and willing to bless us beyond our imagination.

Pray with Us

Again, will you pray for Moody’s Bible faculty? Thank God for John Goodrich, Matthew Monkmeier, Michael Wechsler, Ronald Sauer, and Steven Sanchez. May they continue to faithfully train and equip students in the power of the Holy Spirit!

BY Jamie Janosz

Jamie Janosz serves as a content development manager for Moody Bible Institute. She writes monthly devotionals for Today in the Word and has published non-fiction essays with Christianity Today’s Her.meneutics blog. Recently Jamie wrote a book titled When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up (Moody Publishers). Jamie studied theology and writing at Moody Bible Institute, Columbia College, and Illinois State University. She lives on the Atlantic coast of Florida with her husband, Milt, and daughter, Sabrina.