Episode 261

TODAY’S READING:

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

Genesis 16:1-5

 

Have you ever gotten impatient with God’s plans for your life and took matters into your own hands?

 

That is what Sarai did here, and clearly, the only thing that resulted from this was pain. God promised her and Abram a son, and instead of trusting in the Lord, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

 

What resulted was the birth of a man by the name of Ishmael.

 

Now the best part of this story is even though they messed up and they took their plans and expedited them / ruined what God had planned, God still gave them His promise. He always comes through.

 

Take this as a learning lesson. When God gives you a promise, hold onto it. Hold onto it because it will happen, it won’t come when you expect it, it won’t look like you imagine, but it is coming. So quit trying to put your own destiny in your hands. 

 

PRAYER

Father God, we trust you. We trust that you have a promise for us, and we pray to hold onto faith. Many times we want to take control, but we know life is better when we surrender it to you. We thank you for speaking a promise over each and every one of us. It is with everything that we pray, AMEN!