When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Genesis 17:1-2

Thirteen years after Ishmael was born, the Lord began to fulfill His promise with Abram. We don’t know for sure, but Abram might have thought that he had done right by having a child apart from his wife Sarai, since there was apparent silence in those 13 years.

Two things stand out about these verses. First, just because God is silent in your life doesn’t mean He’s not at work. On the contrary, He’s very active in the dealings of men and women. Remember, 13 years had passed so don’t lose hope so quickly when there’s apparent silence.

Secondly, God used a 99-year-old man and and a 90-year-old woman to fulfill his promise. Granted, people lived a bit longer back then, but you are never too old to be used by God. If you’re still on Earth, God has a reason for you being here. It’s not always clear, but you are a valuable child of the Living God.