Hard Times

O.T.#38  "Hard Times" 
May 1, 2013
Genesis 18-Part 1
Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, accord-
ing to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.  Genesis 18:14

LET IT GLOW

Are you and your family having a hard time? Hard times come in various packages, not always
gift wrapped with a label. Hard times can come in different ways-financial, family, job,
relationships, spiritual.  Families split, jobs are not secure, prices incline while wages don't,
people are selfish and uncaring, faith is on the back burner.
How do we react to these hard times? Do they challenge our faith? Do we dig deeper into God's
Word for strength and reassurance? Or do we slack off replacing that time with something else?
Are we letting our faith get stagnet. Weeds of sin growing up?
Yep, these are our hard times.

Let me refresh you of Abraham and Sarah's situation. He is 99 and she is 89 years old. Abraham
lived to be 175 and Sarah lived to be 127 years of age. Here they are in the middle of their life. It is impossible for her to have a baby naturally. After all, she had not had one up to this point, had
she?

The Lord Himself asked Abraham if anything was too hard  for Him. This happened after the
Lord Jesus told Abraham that Sarah would have his son. Sarah overheard their conversation and
she laughed within herself. Jesus heard her doubting snicker, laugh, to herself.

Hard means marvelous, wonderful.
Perhaps it reads, "Is any word too wonderful, impossible, for Jehovah?" (Pulpit Commentary)
Jesus is our "Wonderful"  One, and He isn't too hard or wonderful for God to give unto us.

King Jesus sits in heaven reigning as King with the Father, yet He bends down and gives us
grace and mercy.His love never fails and never runs out.

God hears and knows everything we think and say. He heard Sarah's reaction in unbelief  and did
not let that go.
2 Timothy 2:13 says, If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

Even though Sarah committed the sin of unbelief, God did not take away His promise.

A little later, Jeremiah gives the answer in 32:17, Ah, Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made
heaven and earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard
for Thee.

When we stop to think about it, He is the God who spoke everything into existance out of
nothing. Nothing is impossible with God. Have I read that before? Yes. After Jesus said, in
Mark 10:23, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of God. They asked, Who then can be save? Jesus replied, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Just how hard is our circumstance to endure? When I look around, I can always find someone
worse off than I am.

There is no promise too hard for God to keep. There is no prayer too hard for God to answer.
There is no problem too hard for God to solve. There is no person too hard for God to save. We
can and do limit God. We're pretty foolish if we bind those blessed hands, the hands that want to bless. We do it with an unwilling spirit, an unconcerned attitude, an unreasonable mindset, an
unclean liferstyle, and an unbelieving heart. (Adrian Rogers)

Is there any problem too hard for the Lord to resolve? Do we have faith to believe there is not?
Not even the barrenness of an old woman is a problem for God.

LET IT GROW

If I knew you was comin' I'd baked a cake. That's a familiar old saying. When the three visitors
came to Abraham's tent, he recognized one as being the Lord Jesus. Abraham wanted to serve
them, Jesus and two angels, a meal. He told Sarah to make cakes (bread) for them to eat while he
got the butter, milk, and beef. Apparently she obeyed her husband. Here was this 89 year old
woman baking. She must have been curious about the visit and converstaion, because she heard
what was said. That's when she laughed to herself. The visitors ate under the tree.

Abraham was head of his household, so Jesus discussed Sarah's laughter (sign of lack of faith).
When Abraham asked her about it, how did Sarah respond? She lied to her husband and the
Lord. She was afraid, the Word says. Abraham replied in verse 15, "Nay; but thou didst laugh."

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, He cannot deny Himself. (2Timothy 2:13)
Aren't you glad?

LET IT GO

Trust Jesus with my hard things.

Remind myself that nothing, NOTHING, NOTHING is too hard for HIM.

Let go of my problems at the foot of the cross.

Encourage others to stay faithful in their hard times.