1/7/2012 10:49:50 PM
Genesis 15 The Lord’s Covenant Promise to Abram
1 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”
4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” 6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Genesis 16 The Birth of Ishmael
1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.”
Following on in Abraham's story, he rescues his nephew Lot from King Kedorlaomer, who had invaded Sodom, where Lot was now residing in. In the process, Abraham recovers the riches of Sodom, and refuses to accept a reward from its king declaring, "I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.'"
Fast forward to Genesis16. Sarai now is suggesting to Abraham that they help God out in "making them rich" in descendants.
To help or not to help, that is the question. Actually, the real question is, will I trust God on this matter, or do I need to take matters in my own hands. We need to realize that there can be no duality on this matter. How is it that we can refuse to give God's glory to another, yet make attempts to take it for ourselves. We refuse "help from others", but don't think twice about giving God an "out" just in case He doesn't pull through on His promise to us.
Lord, help us not to go ahead of you, but to act according to your timing and your will. May my actions always be in response to faith, and not as a reaction to my perception of your apathy, indifference or neglect. Because Lord, you DO SEE, and you make your provision known. Help me to see and believe and to take action accordingly.
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