Keturah, Abraham’s second wife after Sarah’s death, makes her feature in the Bible in Genesis 25:1-2. Precious little is known about this lady and she is rarely ever mentioned, but she has much to teach us on the subject of God’s abundance. You can listen to the audio below, if you prefer that to reading. Feel free to download and share with those who need to hear this message too:
According to scripture not only was Keturah Abraham’s second wife, she was the mother of six of his children besides Isaac and Ishmael, the sons that he had with Sarah and Hagar (Sarah’s maid), respectively. On reflecting upon this fact, what is incredible to me is that there was a point in Abraham’s life when one child would have been considered a miracle in and of itself- let alone eight! This is reflected in:
- The many occasions that Abraham became depressed at the fact that he had no heir previously (Genesis 15:2-3)
- The desperation and impatience that led to his liaison with Hagar (Genesis 16)
- The fact that both he and Sarah laughed when God promised that they would be parents in their old age initially (Genesis 17:17; Genesis 18:12)
The very existence of Keturah and her role in Abraham’s life is therefore confirmation of the following scriptures:
- God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20)
- “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1st Corinthians 2:9)
I say this because when Abraham first heard the purpose that God had for his life, he probably never expected such an overflow. Yes, God said that Abraham would be the father of many nations but he may have thought that this would have manifested through his descendants rather than himself. I imagine that this is because he had never seen or heard of anybody bearing children so late in life, which is why he couldn’t conceive of the fact that it could happen for him at first. Abraham started out wanting just one heir and would have been content to stop at Ishmael (as shown in Genesis 17:18-21) but God went over and above his expectations by taking what was lacking in his life and making it plentiful; taking what was difficult to produce and making it flow with ease.
I, myself, have countless examples of God exceeding my hopes over the years that I can reel off, but this project has been the most recent example. When I first got the idea of the Far Above Rubies Collection, I really didn’t think that anyone outside of my family and friends would see its value, want to contribute to or read my compilations; yet, through the power of technology, this UK-based lady has received testimonies from people in the US, Europe, Australasia, Asia and Africa. I saw this being an international venture eventually but definitely not so soon! I also didn’t see myself writing devotionals initially (and actually feared that I’d run out of ideas when I started to)- yet here I am! The Far Above Rubies collection has turned into a something that is definitely bigger than myself and I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for joining me on this journey. It means more than you will ever know.
But what about you, lovely? Can you look back and pin-point the “Keturahs” in your life- the times when God has completely blown you away with the exploits that He has performed? Has He ever totally exceeded your expectations, making plain paths that once seemed impossible to navigate? If the answer is “yes” I want those of you who are facing new challenges to take encouragement from this. Our God is a God who never changes, meaning that He is able to do that for you again. Even if the answer is “no,” He is still able. If He did it for me, He can do it for you! Keep the faith (like Abraham did) and you, too, will get to your “Keturah”. Want practical steps to follow to make this happen?