YOU CAN'T HELP GOD

"The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Genesis 16:2

Have you ever felt that you were supposed to receive something from God but it just hasn't materialized?

You wait and wait until finally, you decide that maybe God wants you to help out the situation.

This is exactly what happened in the case of Abraham and Sarah.

God had promised them a son, but as years passed by, they were still without a child.

They took their eyes off the One who had made the promise and decided to take matters into their own hands.

So, Abraham lay with Sarah's maidservant, Hagar, and she bore a son, Ishmael (see Genesis 16).

The son of promise, Isaac, came later through Sarah, just like God had promised. However, as a result of this act of disobedience, the maidservant and her son became a torn in the flesh of Abraham and Sarah.

The way to avoid making "Ishmael" decisions is to seek God fully on the matter in prayer. It pays to wait on God until He tells you "go". Seeking the counsel of more experienced people can also save you from bad decisions.

It is also helpful to be in an accountable relationship with your spouse and other close associates who know you well. The Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"(Jere. 17:9).

Whenever we desire something passionately, we place ourselves in a dangerous position because we no longer look at the matter objectively.

We think 'the end justifies the means.' We become venerable to Satan's deceptions, and if we do not take care, we shipwreck our destiny.

Prayer: Ask the good Lord to shield you from mistakes that have potential to derail your destiny.

Scriptural Reading: Genesis 16:1-6