The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you…”
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her…”
Genesis 12:1-2; 16:1-2
If there’s a woman in the Scriptures I suppose I relate to the most, it would be Sarah.
I know that she did some pretty thoughtless things that are still affecting our world today; however, the bottom line is that I often react the same way she did: quickly and without thinking through the consequences to my REACTIONS.
AND, my life experience shows that women are pretty much the same across time and cultures.
So, here are a couple more ways in which I see comparison:
1) On the downside, I often try to play God of my own life, just as Sarah did, and manipulate circumstances to get what I want. Just like Sarah, I find that when I do, the repercussions are often detrimental. AND….Sometimes (while it’s within His power to stop me), He simply sits back and watches as I mess up, in order that I can learn and come out of my mess with more of a desire to conform to the image of His Dear Son. From Sarah, I’ve learned:
God always knows best!
2) On the upside, just like Sarah, my life has been a bit transient. It seems like God has interrupted our lives at some of the most comfortable moments, and moved us on to something new – a different house, a different city, a different state, a different country, and always, a different ministry… Often, as with Abraham and Sarah, God doesn’t even give us the complete details. However scary and painful this might be (especially for a woman who automatically develops a root system wherever she goes in order to thrive), over and over He has proven:
God always knows best!
He’s never failed to bring me into a “good land” and a place of abundance.
So, in this week’s short thought, here are the bottom line FACTS of what I have learned from a world-
class-manipulator like Sarah –
God is Sovereign.
He’s never off of his throne.
He is always in control.
Even when life makes absolutely NO SENSE, He has a plan and He is working it.
Our God is TRUSTWORTHY!
God has my best interests at heart.
Where He leads will always be for my good, and His glory.
In fact, what looks REALLY BAD to us has far more reaching value for good than we could ever imagine. We simply can’t see what is happening from His perspective.
It is always best for me to keep my hands to myself, and stop trying to “fix” my life according to my agenda.
I need to get my eyes off the circumstances about me and put my eyes on the One who is authoring the story of my life (as Hebrews says, “He is the author AND the perfecter of my faith…Hebrews 12:3).
In fact, it is best I stop playing God, and start praying to Him… As I prayerfully seek Him, He never fails to answer and direct (Jeremiah 33:3).
Truth is: I DO NOT MAKE A VERY GOOD GOD….
And….neither do you (sorry)!
Memorize it!
Oh Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you!
(2 Chron. 20.12)
