Monday, November 7, 2011

So Far, So Good?

SO FAR, SO GOOD?


Third of seven in God’s Best devotion series

Genesis 17:1-16

Vv. 5-8, 15: [The Lord said] “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendents after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendents after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendents after you; and I will be their God….As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her, I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

This God’s Best devotional series is designed to show you why the Middle East is a hotbed of conflict today. Why can’t Israel live in peace? Arab nations surround one Jewish state, Israel (Canaan). God’s best is only received when we wait on His timing.



More than ten years have passed since Sarai gave Hagar to Abram to be his wife. (See I’ve Got it! devotion). Now that God changed their names, their lives would certainly be different.

Why would godly people (Abraham and Sarah) choose a path of self-sufficiency? (Self-suf-ISH-in-see means ability to satisfy one’s needs). Intense desire clouds one’s thinking. Desperation (des-per-A-shon means hopeless despair) comes when one isn’t thinking straight. (Indeed, the devil tempts God’s kids to give in to desperation). Why would God Almighty EVER need our help to deliver one of His promises? From a human standpoint, we simply get tired of waiting.

No one is immune to impatience. The danger of strong desire, human reasoning, and others’ influence, is giving into bad judgment. We justify taking action, because “waiting” seems non-productive. We think it’s good to attack a problem with action (what it means to be pro-active).

But, God’s best is achieved ONLY when His kids wait for His perfect timing. (God’s way always runs counter to human logic or instinct). When waiting on God becomes an attitude we choose, we’re fruitful for the Lord. We grow in trust and obedience to Him. We see how God works, and that increases our faith.

Take Home Nugget

Trouble in Abraham’s household started after Hagar got pregnant. Genesis 16:4-6 says that Hagar hated Sarah. Sarah grew jealous, and blamed Abraham. Abraham told Sarah to do what she thought best. So Sarah mistreated Hagar, and Hagar left Sarah’s house. Check out the lesson to this devotion to see where Hagar went.

J.D. Griffith

Oh what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear;

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Scriven

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