Spring in the Wilderness

~~~ Genesis 16: 6B-12, 15-16 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ Matthew 7:21-29 ~~~

Abram, Sarai, and the other woman, Hagar.

For ten years Sarai had been unable to conceive 

and bear a son for Abram.

As was the ancient custom Sarai gave her slave

 to her husband to conceive in her place.

Sarai was infertile and frustrated.

This was seen as a disgrace and completely 

the fault of the woman.

Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,

and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.

The decision to give her slave to her husband eventually

caused problems between the women.

Hagar knew about Sarai's infertility

 and consequently judged her.

Sarai becomes angry when Hagar 

successfully conceives a child with Abram.

Even though this was Sarai's idea she grew

 increasingly jealous of Hagar.

Abram gave her his consent to discipline 

Hagar...abuse her.

“Your maid is in your power.

Do to her whatever you please.”

Sometimes we make decisions 

that later we wished we had not made.

Sarai had not anticipated her own feelings

 when offering Hagar to her husband.

It was not possible for her to anticipate how she would feel 

if her slave conceived with her husband.

Once Hagar was with child there 

was no turning back for Sarai,

One day when Hagar could take no more she ran away.

The LORD’s messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness...

The messenger from the Lord found Hagar
in the wilderness beside a spring of living water.
Although Hagar was feeling all was lost even though
she was with child
God sent a messenger to her.

This spring of water was in the wilderness.

Even in the wilderness God finds a way to speak to our heart.
The waters of the spring were signs of life and hope.

Hagar returned and gave birth to Abram's son, Ishmael.

God makes all things work toward good.

May you be Blessed with a spring
in the wilderness of your life.
~~~ Peace~~~

Obedience to God

 

~~~ Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ Matthew 7:21-29 ~~~

 

Living most of my life along the coast,

I am very much aware of the best place to build your house.

The closer you build your house to the sandy beach

 the more likely the next hurricane will wash it away.

 

The sand washes in with the high waters and is quickly swept out to sea.

Once the sand has become unstable the greater the chance

 it will be unable to hold your foundation.

 

The opposite is also true, if you anchor your foundation firmly into rock

it will be much more stable even under the attack

of hurricane force winds.

 

If we hear the words of God and do not act according to his will

 it will be as if we have built our house on the sand. 

The first crisis life hurls at us we will be down on the dirt.

 

'Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

...And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.'

 

  

...only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 

 

 Paying Sunday lip service to God will not be enough to get you into heaven.

 You must conform yourself to the will of God.
Doing the will of God even when you mat not understand.
Doing the will of God when it is difficult;
as in the case of Hagar.
She was near the living spring waters when she heard God's message.
She fled her abusive mistress, but God's messenger sent her back.
She was pregnant with Abram's son, Ishmael.
God had given her new life...she carried it in her womb.

God blessed her with a child and heard her prayers
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.

Hagar was blessed because she was obedient to God.
She was obedient in the face of difficult circumstances.
It is easy to do the will of God when his will and our desires coincide.
The real test of obedience comes
when we must obey even though his will is not our will.

 

God will never put us in a situation to do wrong.
Doing the will of God is right and just even when we cannot see with his eyes.

Blessings come through obedience to God's will.