Insecure Plan

Insecure Plan

Genesis 16: Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. ² So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. ³ Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. ⁴ So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.

 

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Abram seemed to have a close relationship with Sarai, his wife. He told her everything the LORD said to him. She may have seen his face light up as he talked about having so many descendants, humans could not count them. But they tried and tried and could not have children. Sarai may have felt terrible, so she thought up a plan.

 

My Observations:

• Sarai may have acquired Hagar after the LORD caused a drought in the original land, sending them to Egypt.
• Sarai’s Chaldean beliefs may have differed from Abram.
• Sarai came up with a plan based on her insecurities.

 

Hearing the stories about Shem, Abram’s ancestor, may have seemed like a fairytale to Sarai. Possibly raised as a Chaldean, people were also property in Sarai’s eyes. She could simply take the child because Hagar was considered her property. When her plan worked and the child was born, it made her feel worse, knowing she was barren versus Abram being infertile.

 

Sarai’s insecure plan would prove to be very difficult. Later we will see just how problematic this decision was. Sarai’s plan is not much different than yours or mine when we take matters in our own hands. She may have even sprinkled GOD in her plan, thinking it was HIS fault for causing the drought that sent them to Egypt, almost causing her to be taken by the Egyptians. The plan may have been caused by pain. BUT GOD knew about the plan.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD mention Sarai and Hagar to Moses?
• Have you ever heard a promise from GOD and tried to steer the outcome with your own plan?
• Is your relationship with GOD secure enough to allow HIM to do things HIS way and in HIS time?

Not Despised

Not Despised

2 John 1: ¹ From the Elder—

To the dear Lady and to her children, whom I truly love. And I am not the only one, but all who know the truth love you, ² because the truth remains in us and will be with us forever.

³ May God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, give us grace, mercy, and peace; may they be ours in truth and love.

 

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At first I felt guilty for not going to church. But I had a good reason for not going. I was working the late shift at the bowling alley and I could not make it to church that early. Soon, I got used to not going. After a while, I complained about churches. “’They’ stay there too long and sing songs that only ’they’ can understand and ’they’ are after ‘my’ money and ’they’ act phony!

 

·         I developed a cynical view of church on my own.

·         I had a view of “church” that did not include the world.

·         I had no love for the church, but I had plenty of complaints.

 

John begins his second letter with excitement and love. He explained that there are others who love believers in JESUS as the Savior. He then explains that the truth remains in those who love those who love the LORD. He then said a prayer that GOD grant grace, mercy, peace, truth and love.

 

My Observations:

·         My complaints about imperfect people showed my lack of character and my flaws.

·         GOD desires that I meet with other imperfect people to love them, just as HE loved me.

·         GOD’s love is pure and is not like human flawed love.

 

Complaining about the people GOD loves will get me in trouble. I mean, when I follow the world’s ways, I see believers as people who are in the way and who’s love is strange and not enough. BUT GOD has a cure for that type of thinking, namely surrender.

 

When I surrender my thinking and my life to GOD, I can see the world differently. I see it with HIS love. No power can come up against GOD as HE protects HIS “children” from the Evil One. HE places the truth in those who seek HIS SON as the Savior and guides them to HIS love. I am glad GOD loves you and me.

 

Challenge

·         Can you feel the love from the writer?

·         Have you ever complained about “church goers” or someone with a title who represents “church?”

·         Will you examine your heart to see if you have the smallest degree of despising the church, so you can ask GOD to open your eyes to HIS love, namely JESUS today?

 

Prayer

Dear LORD please grant this reader with grace, mercy, peace, truth and love this day! amen

Could Be Having a Bad Day

 Could Be Having a Bad Day

Romans 14: Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. ² Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. ³ The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person. ⁴ Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed.

 

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Excited to get a good meal, I sat at the table and thought of how tasty it would be. This was a restaurant recommended by the hotel, so it must be good. I sat and sat. No one came to the table. I flagged a waitress over and she said “I will get your waitress.” When she arrived, her face was sad with a slight bit of anger. She gave me “bad” service.

 

• There have been times when I wanted to complain to the manager about someone.
• There have been times when I wanted to tell the boss about what someone was doing wrong.
• There have been times when I wanted to make sure the person who was giving me “bad” service would fail and hopefully be fired.

 

Paul continues with his strange message. At the core, he is speaking about respecting other people. The three people he mentions, remind me of a restaurant. One patron orders the everything platter while another table orders the salad bowl.

 

Both could ask the question “Why did that table order that kind of food?” in a judgmental way. Meanwhile both patrons judge the wait staff, not knowing the full story.

 

• GOD wants me to welcome those who are weak in faith.
• GOD wants me to hold back any arguments I may have, trying to convince someone to grow and simply accept the person, just like HE does.
• GOD wants me to become part of HIS success by removing judgment of the workers of churches, businesses or households I encounter.

 

Finding something wrong with the way someone does things is easier and easier these days. I mean, I can watch a video of how things are supposed to go, but when I try the experience it may not go as I have expected. I then have a choice, complain or give grace. GOD wants me to understand grace more than I want to at times. I mean “that” person is clearly wrong and should be told about it, right? Maybe. BUT GOD wants me to understand grace first.

 

Remember the sad, scowling waitress I encountered. Turns out she had a serious situation at home. I said I would pray for her and she shed a tear and gave me great service from then on. I tipped heavily. I am grateful GOD gives me a second chance, especially from those who judge me. HE makes me succeed.

 

• Are you judging someone?
• Are you saying to yourself “I wouldn’t do it that way?”
• Will you stop judging others and join the LORD who is willing and able to make them succeed?

Never Considered

Isaiah 53: Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

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Tired of struggling, I just sat. Bills were greater than pay, car was not working and my grades were suffering. I was exhausted from trying hard and not getting anywhere. Could someone just reach out their arms and pick me up like a little baby?

• Sometimes life has brought me tough times.
• Sometimes life has delivered to me trials.
• Sometimes life has given me prolonged pain that I cannot think my way out of.

I had no idea where to turn or what to do, then something inside said “Pray.” This did not make sense. I had not prayed in a while nor had I considered it effective. I mean could I just pray for X amount of money and get it? I had never seen anyone do that and have it work for them. I prayed “Help me! I don’t know what to do.” I felt peace to keep going.

• JESUS has no beauty or majesty to attract me to HIM.
• JESUS has nothing in HIS appearance for me to desire HIM.
• JESUS was despised and held with low esteem so I did not consider HIM.

I considered the lottery. I considered selling my stuff to get out of bills, but I did not consider JESUS as being an answer to day to day problems. Yeah HE saved me but did HE care about the debt collector calling me? HE led me beside still waters that day. HE said “Keep going” so I did. I truly cannot remember how I was delivered, but I was.

With bills paid and car fixed, I graduated and moved onto another phase of my life. I sought after GOD from then to now. HE has never failed me.

• Are you trying things on your own?
• Do you feel like you have ot do thing under your own power?
• Can you stop trying to carry the load and allow GOD to help you?
• Will you believe that no matter what you have done in the past, you are forgiven by JESUS who took your punishment for you?