TGIF!

I'm so glad it's Friday!

Because I was going to be working late tonight, I was allowed to come in a few hours late. So, the morning kicked off at a pace much slower than normal. The kids and my wife were soon out the door, heading for school and work, while I relished the silence of an empty house for almost an hour.

Once I departed for work, I plugged into my iPhone and began to catch up on the last couple days' worth of podcasts from the Daily Audio Bible and also the devotional streaming audio for WSFC through BibleGateway.com. At this point of the year, both daily readings are in Genesis, but in different portions of the book. It was interesting to listen about Abraham, Sarah, Lot, his daughters and all the goings on at the time. (You first read of Abraham (Abram) in Genesis 11:26)

Much insight was given on the book through each reading, but a few things stuck out today. First, when God promises something, it will happen. Trying to force whatever is promised will not likely end well. We have full volition to direct our lives any way we choose. We can hold on and trust God, or we can trust in ourselves. An example could be in Genesis 15:4, when God promises to make Abraham a father of many nations, including a son to inherit his estate. Abraham had faith in this promise, which was counted to him as righteousness, but something happened in the very next chapter which makes me wonder where his faith went. Sarah, Abraham's wife (then called Sarai) was barren. She knew of the promises that God had given to her husband. However, she tried to force the situation along by offering her servant, Hagar, for Abraham to have sex with instead of trusting in the Lord for his promise. Abraham indeed ended up with a son, but it wasn't the heir God intended. In fact, this forced encounter ended up causing strife between Sarah and Abraham. In the end, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away after Isaac was born, at the will of Sarah. Abraham's heart was broken.

Another example of "making it work" would be the story of Lot and his daughters' incestuous relationship in Genesis 19:30. God may or may not have promised husbands and children for the two daughters of Lot, after they escaped the destruction of Sodom. However, these girls ended up having sex with their own father in order to keep the family name alive. There were no young men around to marry, but who knows what could have happened? They became pregnant and delivered sons, but imagine the shame they must have carried as their children grew.

Both of these examples show that when we try and do things in our own strength and wisdom, the end result is often far from ideal.

Secondly, I picked up the fact that we're blessed as God's children, even when we screw up. Even if it's the same lesson over and over again. To really drive it home, let's talk about Abraham again for a minute. In Genesis 12:10, we learn that Abraham and Sarah traveled to Egypt to avoid the famine in their land. Once there, Abraham lied to the Pharaoh regarding his marriage to Sarah. Sarah was very beautiful and Abraham was afraid he'd be killed for her sake. Obviously the Pharaoh can have whatever and whomever he wants, so he took Sarah as his own, upon hearing how "hot" she was. Uh oh, big mistake. God inflicted diseases upon the king and his household. Pharaoh ended up confronting Abraham about his lie and sent him packing with his wife and a ton of stuff!

In Genesis 20, we learn once again that Abraham is telling everyone near their settlement at Gerar, that Sarah is his sister. King Abimelech sends for Sarah and takes her as his own. She's beautiful. She's available. So what's the issue, right? God doesn't like this one bit and closes up the wombs of all of the females in the king's household. He also visits Abimelech in a dream, explaining the true story. So once again, the truth comes out (well, Sarah IS Abraham's HALF sister) and Abraham and Sarah are sent packing with the mother lode of silver and other stuff. What's more, the king had given Abraham permission to live wherever he chose! Talk about being blessed!

So, in a nutshell, you need to hang on to the promises God gives you. Don't force or try to rush it. And, making mistakes doesn't mean you're disqualified from the good things God has in store for your life. He'll protect and bless you, even if your walk isn't perfect.

Good Night