Text: Galatians 4:21-31
Spotlight: Galatians 4:28-29

Very often I am confronted by truths in the bible that I know I am supposed to accept but do not always understand why. As a young believer, I sometimes find myself frustrated by not understanding why God speaks certain things in His word or why certain things are the way they are. Although, I try to always obey God’s word, it is a whole lot easier when I know why I am obeying. This text explains a lot of the ‘whys’ regarding God’s promises to us and the persecution we face as Christians.
Paul begins the passage by contrasting the difference between Sarah and Hagar. Sarah represents the promise that God gave Abraham and the child of promise that came through her. While Hagar’s child or “the son born in the ordinary way” represent the life lead by natural means or outside of God’s promises and by our natural strength. In verse 28 Paul reminds the Galatians (or us today) that we are children of promise. He is reminding them of this because in the context of chapter 3, verse 17 through chapter 4 verse 7, there is an ongoing struggle with observance of the law. This struggle is also present today with the modern day church represented as the struggle between a faith oriented Christianity and a works oriented Christianity. If we could learn to walk in the reality every day that we are children of the promise, and rely on God’s promises to us even when we don’t see them fulfilled, we would be living out a more victorious Christian life.
Furthermore we read in verse 29 about the persecution by the son born in the ordinary way. We who are of the promise will always face persecution from the world.
The second that Hagar became pregnant there was instant enmity between her and Sarah (See Genesis 16:4). We can see this enmity even in church amongst believers. There are those who live according to God’s promise or as I like to say those who walk in supernatural provision and then there are those who walk according to their own strength and natural provision fulfilling their promises to themselves by their own strength. If you’re someone who is pursuing God with all your heart and seeking a life of purity and consecration and choosing walk according to God’s promises, the sad truth is you will be persecuted. But be encouraged, this persecution is a sign that you’re seeking God and by your example of pursuing holiness, your mere presence amongst those who are not will bring conviction to the lives of others.
So to summarize, don’t fret because of persecution. Don’t be troubled when you are pursuing God’s promises for your life and people seem to be trying to trip you up. It’s the way it has been from the beginning. You can be encouraged by the lives of Abraham and Sarah and others in the bible who walked according to God’s promises rather than according to their own strength because God’s promises were always fulfilled in their lives and God’s glory and faithfulness has been evident when you read their stories.

How to pray this scripture:

Dear Lord in heaven, I want to live a life according to your promises. I don’t want to live life in the ordinary way. Lord, I will cling to your promises even when all seems hopeless. I know that you allow seasons where your promises don’t seem to be fulfilled for the purpose of strengthening my faith in you. I pray that you would increase my faith. Lord, give me strength to endure persecution. May I see it as part of your training and preparation for what you have for me and preparation for the fulfillment of your promises that you want to send. With your guidance I will walk by the spirit and not by my own strength and I will see your promises fulfilled in my life. Thank You Lord, Amen.

Other Scriptures to read:

John 15:18
John 16:33
Colossians 2:20-22
Romans 7:5-6
Romans 8:1-3

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