Waiting on God
Sometimes it is easy to understand people once you’ve been in a circumstance like theirs. When Sarai in the Bible’s Old Testament book of Genesis couldn't conceive a child with her husband, Abram, she didn’t understand it. God had promised her and Abram that his descendents would come from Abram’s body and would cover a great land (Genesis 15:4-5; 18-21). But for many years, no son was born. Check these verses out at BibleGateway.com.
So Sarai took matters into her own hands. She wasn't getting any younger and she knew she couldn't wait much longer to carry a baby. So Sarai told Abram she would send for her maid, Hagar, and give her to Abram as his wife to bear a child. I’ll have to say—I’ve never been this desperate for anything in my life!
But Sarai wanted a son more than anything. As Abram’s wife, she had been promised a son by God, and yet for many years, she never conceived. Sarai must have thought something was wrong with her and Abram’s hearing. After all, they were getting on in years when God spoke to them—Sarai near 90 and Abram almost a century in years.
So Sarai took matters into her own hands. She figured if she gave her Egyptian maid, Hagar, to Abram, and Hagar conceived, the son would belong to Sarai and she could claim him as her own. (Genesis 16:2). This arrangement was common in that day, according to long-standing custom.
When Sarai did that, what a mess ensued! The relationship between Sarai and Abram became strained because Sarai was jealous of Hagar’s ability to conceive. Hagar lorded it over her mistress, which infuriated Sarai. To make matters worse, Abram didn’t seem like much of a leader or husband through the whole incident. He just seemed to go along with whatever Sarai told him to do. Perhaps he wanted a son as much as Sarai.
I’ve been in a similar situation like Sarai’s several times in my life. I’ve wanted to see instant action and get results in a reasonable amount of time. When I don’t see results of something I think God has promised me, I want to alter the waiting time to fit my expectations. ‘I should be at a certain weight by now.’ ‘I should have written several books by now, instead of just magazine articles.’ ‘I should have risen in my career further than I am by now.’
And sometimes I have tried to push myself to where I think I should be. Unequivocably, the result is chaos. Like Sarah’s life, mine is no better off for my manipulation. In fact, like hers, it is often in worse shape when I have tried to fix something.
My favorite verse in the Bible is Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together to those who love God and those who are called according to His purpose.” I learned this as a young teen at church camp at Lake James Christian Assembly and it has stuck with me ever since.
This verse means it doesn’t take our human manipulation to “fix” something we think God has forgotten or done badly. We need to pray about the matter and ask Him to give us patience and eyes to see His will in whatever situation we’re in.
Waiting is a tough situation to be in, but God is a good one to spend the time with.
Take care.
www.KayleenR.com
Kayleen Reusser
So Sarai took matters into her own hands. She wasn't getting any younger and she knew she couldn't wait much longer to carry a baby. So Sarai told Abram she would send for her maid, Hagar, and give her to Abram as his wife to bear a child. I’ll have to say—I’ve never been this desperate for anything in my life!
But Sarai wanted a son more than anything. As Abram’s wife, she had been promised a son by God, and yet for many years, she never conceived. Sarai must have thought something was wrong with her and Abram’s hearing. After all, they were getting on in years when God spoke to them—Sarai near 90 and Abram almost a century in years.
So Sarai took matters into her own hands. She figured if she gave her Egyptian maid, Hagar, to Abram, and Hagar conceived, the son would belong to Sarai and she could claim him as her own. (Genesis 16:2). This arrangement was common in that day, according to long-standing custom.
When Sarai did that, what a mess ensued! The relationship between Sarai and Abram became strained because Sarai was jealous of Hagar’s ability to conceive. Hagar lorded it over her mistress, which infuriated Sarai. To make matters worse, Abram didn’t seem like much of a leader or husband through the whole incident. He just seemed to go along with whatever Sarai told him to do. Perhaps he wanted a son as much as Sarai.
I’ve been in a similar situation like Sarai’s several times in my life. I’ve wanted to see instant action and get results in a reasonable amount of time. When I don’t see results of something I think God has promised me, I want to alter the waiting time to fit my expectations. ‘I should be at a certain weight by now.’ ‘I should have written several books by now, instead of just magazine articles.’ ‘I should have risen in my career further than I am by now.’
And sometimes I have tried to push myself to where I think I should be. Unequivocably, the result is chaos. Like Sarah’s life, mine is no better off for my manipulation. In fact, like hers, it is often in worse shape when I have tried to fix something.
My favorite verse in the Bible is Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together to those who love God and those who are called according to His purpose.” I learned this as a young teen at church camp at Lake James Christian Assembly and it has stuck with me ever since.
This verse means it doesn’t take our human manipulation to “fix” something we think God has forgotten or done badly. We need to pray about the matter and ask Him to give us patience and eyes to see His will in whatever situation we’re in.
Waiting is a tough situation to be in, but God is a good one to spend the time with.
Take care.
www.KayleenR.com
Kayleen Reusser
posted by Kayleen | 4:42 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home