Journey Through the Bible in a Year
Reading God's Word and learning more about His plan for my life each day!
Friday, September 20, 2002
Introduction to Journey Through the Bible
A note about online study
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, many times in my life I have tried to “help” You. I have been impatient for Your answers to my prayer, or haven’t liked the answers I’ve received, so I’ve gone out on my own and acted in my will and called it Yours. In today’s Scripture Sarai does the same thing. She couldn’t wait for Your promise to be fulfilled, for You to deliver on the miracle that was needed for she and Abram to have a son, so she “helped.” You worked through the meddling in Your plan and eventually Your will was done, but I pray that I will learn from Sarai’s impatience and wait and let You work, rather than trying to speed up the process. Use me today by the power of the Holy Spirit for whatever purpose You intend. I pray that You will show me how I can more effectively and more appropriately pray and wait for Your will, then do what You command. These things I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
My Journey Verses for Today
Genesis 16:1-16
1 But Sarai, Abram's wife, had no children. So Sarai took her servant, an Egyptian woman named Hagar, 2 and gave her to Abram so she could bear his children. "The LORD has kept me from having any children," Sarai said to Abram. "Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed. 3 So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram first arrived in the land of Canaan.) 4 So Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress Sarai with contempt. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's all your fault! Now this servant of mine is pregnant, and she despises me, though I myself gave her the privilege of sleeping with you. The LORD will make you pay for doing this to me! " 6 Abram replied, "Since she is your servant, you may deal with her as you see fit." So Sarai treated her harshly, and Hagar ran away.
7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a desert spring along the road to Shur. 8 The angel said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?""I am running away from my mistress," she replied. 9 Then the angel of the LORD said, "Return to your mistress and submit to her authority."
10 The angel added, "I will give you more descendants than you can count." 11 And the angel also said, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard about your misery. 12 This son of yours will be a wild one – free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live at odds with the rest of his brothers." 13 Thereafter, Hagar referred to the LORD, who had spoken to her, as "the God who sees me," for she said, "I have seen the One who sees me!" 14 Later that well was named Beer-lahairoi, and it can still be found between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old at that time.
Reflecting on God's Word for My Journey
When was a time that you tried to “help” God along? What was the result?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word for My Journey
What was Sarai’s “solution” to God’s promise of giving them a son? (16:1-4)
What was Sarai’s response to Abram when the “solution” worked? (16:5-6)
How did God respond to Hagar’s predicament? (16:7-15)
Understanding God's Will for My Journey
Why do you suppose that Sarai took matters into her own hands with regard to God’s promise that they would have a son?
Why do you think that God promised to bless Hagar’s son in a similar manner to the blessings promised to Abram?
Applying What God's Word Tells Me to My Journey
What do you learn from Sarai’s actions that will help you in your daily walk with the Lord?
My Personal Journey Thought for the Day—“Helping God!”
Sarai thought that God was taking too long to fulfill His promise that she and Abram would have a son, who would be the first of countless descendants in their family. Finally, she took matters into her own hands. She decided to “help” God. The solution was simple as she saw it. She was too old to have a child, so she would simply have Abram sleep with her servant girl, Hagar. The plan worked. Hagar became pregnant, just as Sarai intended. Then something happened that Sarai hadn’t intended: Hagar started taunting Sarai, and boasting that she was going to have Abram’s son. This drove Sarai crazy. In fact, eventually she went to Abram and blamed him for the whole situation! Abram gave Sarai permission to treat Hagar however she wanted, and Sarai mistreated her so badly that she ran away. Ultimately God intervened in the situation and Hagar returned. She eventually gave birth to a son, whom Hagar named Ishmael—“God hears.” We learn some very important principles from this situation, though, don’t we? First, we learn that God’s promises are sure—even when they take a long time to fulfill. Next, we learn that “playing” God is quite risky, and even when it “works” it really doesn’t, because only God can fill His role! Finally, we learn that even when we mess things up by trying to play God, God is still in charge and will set things right. Thank God that He can overcome our “help!”
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