The O.T. Part IV-Thanks God...I'll Take it From Here

Sunday Night Bible Study Recap
5/21/2006
Genesis 16:1-16; 21:8-21

How patient are you? How long will you to wait to receive something promised to you? A day? A week? A Year?

What about 10 years? What about 24 Years?

At what point do you decide to take matters into your own hands and "make things happen" because someone else is being too slow?

As we look at the continuing saga of Abram and Sarai and God's promise to them of decendents that will number millions upon millions upon millions, this idea of waiting for the Lord's timing and the Lord's plan comes to the forefront.

Here are 6 Quick Lessons that we can learn from this story and Apply to our Everyday Lives.

1. It never pays to blame God for your life circumstances.
Sarai starts this passage by saying that God has "prevented her from having children" and, despite his promises, decides to take matters into her own hands to "help" God fulfill his promise to Abram.

2. Trusting your understanding instead of God's understanding leads to trouble.
Most of us have heard Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Sarai trusted her own understanding in this situation. She knew she was old. She knew she had no children. She knew what God had promised Abram, and it made NO SENSE to her how she could or would be a part of that plan. She did all she knew to do...give Abram permission to marry another woman, a woman who was their property anyway, and seek an heir through her. While having multiple wives may have been common in that culture, I still do not believe that it was God's best for Abram and Sarai. This impatience and trust of her own understanding led to dire consequences that we are still facing today.

3. God wants us to submit to the authority placed over us whether we like them or not.
Hagar gets pregnant and Sarai gets ticked...go figure. Sarai tells Abram that God will judge, and then takes matters into her own hands again, kicking Hagar out. in Genesis 16:9 we see God instructing Hagar to return to Sarai and submit to her...WHAT!!! Sarai had just beaten her and Hagar had run. But this is who Hagar was to serve under during this time of her life.

God may have placed you somewhere in your life right now where you really don't like those in authority over you, be they parents, teachers, pastors, bosses, or whoever, but, given that they are in positions of authority, God expects us to submit to and respect them.

4. Nothing is Impossible with God.
God still promises that Abram will have a descendent from Sarai...and now he's getting into his 90's!!!

5. Be Patient...God Keeps His Promises.
When Abram was 99 God fulfills what He promised them...Isaac. This is 24 years after the initial promise of a great nation! That's a long time, but God had his reasons...we may never know the exact reasons for God's timing, but trust me, you haven't thought of any scenario that will surprise God and make Him say, "why didn't I think of that...your way is much better than mine."

So, be patient and trust God!

6. Don't allow Struggles to Blind you to help that is Right in Front of You.
After Hagar and Ishmael are kicked out the last time (Genesis 21:14-21) Hagar gives up and considers her and her son dead. God comes to her, keeps her promise to her (despite knowing the descendents of Ishmael would war with the whole world, even to today as the Muslims) and shows her a well of water in the desert...right there! So often we are blinded to the help that God is trying to provide for us because we are wallowing in self-pity and sorrow as we wade through struggles which, honestly, probably aren't that bad compared to the struggles others face around the world.

God is a compassionate God, ready to help if you will just turn to Him.

He especially is ready to help you out of your sin, and provided a way through Jesus Christ...he is your help! Don't put on blinders and run after the "help" of this world. That path will lead only to hell. Take off the blinders, take God's path and run to Jesus and eternal healing!