Divine delays. Frustrations. Doubts. Impatience. Second-guessing. Manipulation. Action. Anything but resting and waiting!
God’s work done man’s way promises man-made disasters, indelible regret and inescapable disappointments.
On every side, our man was experiencing success. He was rich. He was influential. He was strong, a force to be taken seriously. He was reverent. But he was disappointed and, though still believing, he was also beginning to calculate methods of “helping God out” on this matter of the unfulfilled promise of a son of his own. He began rationalizing the promise of God and considering that perhaps he had “misunderstood”. He offered to be content with the faithfulness of God if one of the young lads born to the family of one of his many servants was selected to carry on his name.
But God dramatically restates His promise and graciously lays out the long-range plan for its fulfillment. God will be faithful. God’s promise will be fulfilled. God’s word will be found true. Just wait. Genesis 15
And then disaster begins! Painful as the thought of having her husband share their bed with another woman, the pain of growing old yet childless seemed even greater. So a serving maid was sent to become the birth mother of Abram’s child. And the harsh reality of this propositional truth pierced the home. God’s work done man’s way promises man-made disasters, indelible regret and inescapable disappointments. Genesis 16
When God has promised, God performs. But oft times His calendar is longer than our patience. And in the face of frustration, doubt and waiting, we yield to the temptation to just “help God out” and attempt to get Divine work done man’s way.
Finding yourself frustrated with God lately? Beginning to grapple with soul-deep doubts about His true faithfulness? Impatience stirring an unsettled spirit deep within? Download a few snapshots from the iPhoto album of Sarai. Study the faces closely. Look intently into the eyes. What you will read there is painful affirmation of this propositional truth: God’s work done man’s way promises man-made disasters, indelible regret and inescapable disappointments.
And then…when it seems that man can make no greater mess of Divine purposes and when the horrible implications of impatience fall with full weight upon their lives, THEOPHANY. Then comes Jesus! Genesis 16
See you Sunday, Church, as we begin summer contemplations of the mysteries of THEOPHANY, “Then comes Jesus!”
Pastor Tom
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