Taking Matters Into My Own Hands

January 8

Genesis 15-16

Psalm 6:1-5

Proverbs 1:20-23

Matthew 6:19-34

Taking Matters into My Own Hands

“Sarai said to Abram, ‘Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to

my slave: perhaps through her I can build a family.’  And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.”

Genesis 16:2 HCSB

God had promised Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.  He had promised to make Abram into a great nation.  At the time God made the promise to Abram, Sarai was already very old and past childbearing years.  She must have come to grips over the years with the fact that she was barren and would not have children.   Then God gave her hope.  He promised that she would have descendants.  But a long time passed and still she was childless. She grew impatient and decided to take matters into her own hands.  Instead of trusting God to fulfill His promise to her, she came up with a plan to help God out.   She did what seems unthinkable to us.  She gave her husband to another woman. 

Sarai’s actions seem crazy to us.  Unfortunately, too often we are just like Sarai.   When we think God is taking too long and we begin to doubt if He is going to come through, we come up with plans to help Him out.     Instead of waiting and trusting, we come up with our own solutions.  Taking matters into our own hands is extremely dangerous.  The byproduct of Sarai and Abram’s impatience was a baby named Ishmael.  Ishmael is the father of the Arab nation.  The promised child of Abram and Sarai was Isaac, whose descendants are the Jewish nation. Centuries of conflict between the Arab and Israeli people have resulted.  

Yes and no answers to our prayers are much easier to deal with than when God tells us to wait.  Waiting on God’s timing can be so difficult.  Knowing what to do while we wait, not giving up hope, and the fear of disappointment are very real concerns.  The only way to navigate the waiting is by staying in constant connection with God.  Staying in His Word and seeking Him through prayer allows us to trust in His timing and have faith that He loves us so much that He will always bring about what is best for us.   The consequences of taking matters into our own hands can be disastrous to us and to those around us.