Open Hands Even With Tears

Genesis 14-16: Have you ever noticed when we take things into our own hands we make a mess? Abraham was not just the Father of one nation, but two. We are still seeing the effects of Sarai’s taking things into her own hands today. Ishmael is where the Muslim world traces their roots back to. We will read later about Isaac, the son of the Promise, but our Muslim friends consider Ishmael to be the son of the promise.

When Sarai came up with the idea to give her servant Hagar to Abraham as her substitute it started thousands of generations of chaos. My heart goes out to all of those involved. I feel for Sarai and Abraham because I know what it feels like when you know believe God has told you something and then it doesn’t happen as you thought it would or it is not in the timing you thought it would be. I can just imagine Sarai saying, “He knows how old I am and this plumbing is worn out. Maybe He was meaning that it would be someone who could stand in for me.” Do you reason your way into disobedience sometimes? It is as though we believe God needs our help to keep from losing face. GOD DOES NOT NEED OUR HELP! How I need to remember this.

I feel for Hagar. She may have been a woman of some prestige in Egypt who was given to Abraham and Sarai as they left Egypt. She was definitely a woman who stood out to Sarai because Sarai chose her to be her stand in. Wether or not Hagar became prideful when she became pregnant we do not know, but we do know Sarai felt she was and because of that Sarai treated Hagar with contempt. It got so bad that Hagar ran away. God saw Hagar and she knew His presence.

I don’t believe that Ishmael was in any way the Promised one. I do know that God still blessed him with many descendants and even though we differ greatly in our understanding of God’s promises, God still loves them. That is one of the reasons I open my hands today to send our daughter and son in law again off to that part of the world to love and share with these who do not know the truth of the Promise.

May we all have a heart for the people of this region and pray for peace to come to that part of the world. Pray that the Prince of Peace will be made known and that many will turn to obedience to Him. To the Ends of the Earth. (with tears of thankfulness and joy even in sadness)

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