“Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:21-27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul uses Hagar and Sarah and Isaac and Ishmael to draw parallels with the law of Moses and Grace. In Genesis, Chapters 15-21, we read the story. Abraham and Sarah were getting old and had not yet seen the fulfillment of  God's promise to give them a son. Sarah suggests to Abraham that he have a child with her Egyptian servant named Hagar. That son was named Ishmael. This is an example of how we try to accomplish God's promise in our own fleshly ways. This was not God's way! Later, Sarah conceives a child, even in her elder years of life, and he is named Isaac. He was a miracle child. It was humanly impossible for her to conceive, yet God made her womb fertile. Isaac was God's promised son and also the lineage through which Jesus would come. Mary, the young virgin, had not been with a man, yet she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit. We, too, have Jesus conceived in us by the power and work of the Holy Spirit!!! This is a work of God Almighty!!!

We, like Abraham and Sarah, often get caught up in our flesh  and try to manufacture God's promise of salvation. We attempt to figure it out and work it out. In doing so, we only create strife and confusion just as there was between Sarah and Hagar. We simply need to trust God to do what He said He will do. He said that if we would confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead that we would be saved (Romans 10:9-10). God keeps His promises. We need not try to work out our own way of salvation. There is only one Promised Son - Jesus! He is the way! (see John 3:16; 14:6). He is the Son of God who has accomplished our salvation. Stop trying and start trusting!! When we try, we fail. When we trust, God succeeds!!!

Prayer for today: Father, in Jesus name, thank you for full and free salvation through Your Son Jesus. I trust fully and confidently in Him as my Savior. I find my rest in Him!