The Children's Chapel Award-winning site, featuring Bible stories from a variety of authors, excellent Christian resources for children, and over 140 links to other Christian and family-friendly sites for kids. ~ A Ministry of The Missing Link, Inc. ~ CHILD OF PROMISE by Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards Charlie was jumping up and down anxiously. This is the day he had been waiting for SOOOO long. "May I hold him? PLEASE? Can I? Can I? I want to hold the baby." Dad reached down and patted him on his head and told him to sit in the big chair. Mom placed his new baby brother carefully into his arms. Charlie looked at the baby's little hands and counted all his tiny fingers. As he held the baby tenderly, he thought about how great it was to be a big brother. * * * Abraham was a man who loved God very much. He enjoyed praying to God and talked to Him every day. He did his best to obey God. In turn, God was pleased with Abraham. God blessed Abraham by giving him lots of land. In fact -- God had told Abraham to look in every direction as far as he could see, and all that land would be his. God blessed Abraham with large flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. He blessed Abraham with many servants to help care for the land and the animals. God blessed Abraham so much that he became the wealthiest man in the world at that time. BUT...there was one thing Abraham wanted more than anything else in the WHOLE world . . . . . . . Abraham wanted his wife, Sarah, to have a SON. He was remembering the night when God spoke to him saying, "Abraham! Look up at the stars and see if you can count them." Abraham looked up, but, of course, it was impossible for him to count all the stars. There were so many all over the sky. There was no way they could all be counted! Then God said, "Your descendants will be like the stars. There will be so many, they will not be able to be counted." THAT had been a wonderful promise, and Abraham BELIEVED that it would happen, because GOD SAID IT WOULD. But that promise had been made SOOOOOO long ago. "WHEN would it ever happen?" he wondered. He remembered the time he laughed. The Lord appeared to him promising that he and Sarah, his wife, would have a child, and he would be the father of many nations, and some of his descendants would even be KINGS. He laughed because Sarah was already NINETY YEARS OLD, which was MUCH too old be having a baby! It was such joyful news that he HAD to laugh! Again he wondered, "We are even older now than we were then. WHEN will it ever happen?" He also remembered the time not too long ago, when the visitors arrived at his tent, telling him again that Sarah would have a son. That time it was SARAH who laughed, because she just couldn't believe she would ever have a baby, especially at HER age. Abraham and Sarah often discussed how wonderful it would be to have a son. Sarah spent a lot of time making warm blankets and snuggly baby clothes. Abraham had one of his servants make a little cradle. They were overcome with happiness and excitement as they planned and prepared for the arrival of their new baby. It happened JUST AS GOD HAD PROMISED. A cute little baby boy was born to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham named the baby Isaac, which means laughter. The baby brought much joy and laughter to Abraham and Sarah. They loved baby Isaac very, very much. They were so happy that God had kept His promise. *********** THINK! 1. What did Abraham want more than anything else? 2. What did God tell Abraham to count? 3. How many descendants did God promise to Abraham? 4. Why did Sarah think she would never have a baby? 5. What did Abraham name the baby? 6. What does the name "Isaac" mean? REMEMBER God always keeps His promises. A VERSE TO LEARN " . . . in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). ALTERNATIVE VERSES TO LEARN "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry" (Psalm 40:1). "Is any thing too hard for the Lord?..." (Genesis 18:14). "In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears" (Psalm 18:6). PRACTICAL APPLICATION Think about a time when you found it difficult to wait, like at Christmas or on your birthday, or when someone you really like was coming to visit. Abraham and Sarah had to wait 25 years for Isaac to be born. Waiting doesn't mean a "no" from God. We must learn to be patient and wait for God's timing. God answers when you pray. Sometimes He says, "Yes." Sometimes He says, "No," but other times He says, "Wait." There are times He wants us to wait for a better time. We need to learn to wait patiently on God. We can trust Him even when things don't happen as fast as we think they should. Never forget! God will do what He promises. He always keeps his word. When God seems to be taking a very long time to answer your prayer, you may wonder if you're really important to Him. You are precious to God. Ask Him to help you be faithful to Him and teach you to trust Him even in times when it seems like He's not listening. The next time you feel down, remember Abraham and Sarah, and remind yourself that faith and promise go together. Not only will God keep his promises, but He will also give you all you need to do what He wants you to do. No matter how long you may have to wait, you can trust God to work out his plan for your life. LET'S PRAY **************************************************** Dear God, thank You for all the promises You've given to us in your Word, the Bible. Help us to remember that even though something may seem impossible, nothing is too hard for You, and You will always keep Your promises. In Jesus' Name. Amen. **************************************************** CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE? Genesis 21:1-8 BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE http://childrenschapel.org/bibstory2.html * * * JUST FOR FUN Color the Bible Verse Isaac Is Born Coloring Page Isaac Is Born - Coloring Page, Questions, Word Search, Crossword CRAFT PROJECTS Baby Food Jar Tea Light Fun Foam Family Picture Frame Baby Jesus in a Blanket Craft (easily adaptable for Baby Isaac) STORY The Long Awaited Son ACTION RHYME God Made Families TEACHER RESOURCES Ideas For Stories About Babies Educational Patterns For Children's Ministry A Surprise From God Picture of sunflower divider ----------------------------------------------------------------- Pictures Courtesy of Free Bible Images ----------------------------------------------------------------- BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE http://childrenschapel.org/bibstory2.html Add/update a Bible story resource The Children's Chapel - Award-winning site, featuring Bible stories from a variety of authors, excellent Christian resources for children, and over 140 links to other Christian and family-friendly sites for kids ----------------------------------------------------------------- Free Bible Stories! 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