Read Genesis Chapter 16; Chapter 17: 15-21
Early in chapter 12, God made Abraham a promise- your offspring will be more than the stars. Chapter 16 starts verse 1: his wife had bore him no children. This was ten years after being promised a son and 15 years before the birth of Isaac.
Have you ever been worn out waiting for God to reveal a blessing? Did you wait 25 years? Sarah grows weary and begins to make some plans of her own. I wish this were not familiar to me but it is. Customs then said it was okay to give a female servant to your husband for the purpose of children. She had been unable to conceive and so she just knew God must have meant she would have children another way. She gave her maid to Abraham and Hagar, the servant, conceived. Hagar gave birth to a baby boy and Sarah created something also; heartache, for more than just her.
This is inevitable when we take over for God, when we try to help Him. Most all of you would agree with the statement ‘God knows best’. Now why we don’t act like we agree with that? I wish I knew. We are broken, just like Sarah. Our desire for the perfect family wells inside of us all; we are women. It is why we take that picture 12 times to get it just right before we share it. It is why we run around in the mornings frantic- baby, do not get that on your shirt; baby, those shoes are not on the right feet; baby, it is 90 degrees outside, you cannot wear that today.
Pay attention to the details, anybody else step over toys and a dirty cup for three days straight and then find out someone is coming over and scramble to get it all at least somewhat together? We could rationalize these behaviors ten million ways but it all comes down to pride.. to appearances.
God knows best. He also knows worst because he knows everything.
He does not mind that three day old chocolate milk that your neighbor may find the grossest, but He does mind your heart. I am learning that the wait is usually for no other reason than for ourselves. Looking ready and being ready are not the same. Switching that baby’s shoes to the ‘right way’ made her look ready. Cleaning that house for the messes to be out of the way made it look ready. That picture you took 12 times made it look like you didn’t just tell your kids to look at that camera and smiles or no candy. What we look like and what we are not the same. Everyone else sees what is put together and God sees the pieces. If only we had not set our own standard so high; if only we were not so dependent on ourselves- maybe we wouldn’t be so much like Sarah. Maybe we could grow into our blessings rather than pushing over them, always looking for the next put-together thing.
I put together a hot wheels track for my son last week. It took my brother-in-law and I hours. My son squirmed and whined the entire time, but because, as a parent, I made him wait- he was able to enjoy it fully. Had I thrown it together enough to just make it look ready- it would have all came crashing down half way through the track. Some present, right? God’s plans for us are the same. If God says wait, He is making time to connect part A to part B. If He says not yet, He is working on the safety features that protect us. If He says no, He does not mean maybe if I did this… We look at tomorrow and He looks at forever. Sarah couldn’t wait and the impatience gave birth to Egypt. The rushed blessing, Ishmael, still fights the chosen one, Isaac and Israel, to this day. Chapter 17 tells Abraham My promise is still coming because Jesus’ plan is ordained, but that does not erase our interventions. We’ve got to learn to quit demanding what we are not ready for so we do not live in pieces, but instead peace. God didn’t need Sarah’s help and He also does not need ours. Let God be God.
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Love you guys,
