Taking Control

How often, have you gotten tired of being patient and taken matters into your own hands?  Was the outcome what you had expected it to be? 

Many of you know the story of Abram and Sarai (Abraham and Sarah).  However, this morning God revealed to me the significance of this story and how it can relate to my life today! 

God promised Abram and Sarai that they would have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5).  Have you ever tried counting the stars in the sky or the amount of grains in a handful of sand?  You can't do it, there's way too much to count!  Wow - that's some promise that God made!  If God made a promise like that to you, would you be filled with unbelief?  I know I would!  However, Abram's faith in God was followed with his belief that God would fulfill his promise.  Faith in God is confidence that God is who he says he is and that He will always do what He says He will do!  Do you have true faith?

Now, Sarai did not have faith, she doubted God.  Because of her doubt she took matters into her own hands.  She had resolved that she would never have children, and she laughed at God's promise to Abram (Genesis 18:10-15).  Because of Sarai's lack of faith, consequences were to follow.  Sarai's servant, Hagar, gave Abram a son, Ishmael, who was to be, "a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey!  He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him.  Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives." (Genesis 16: 12).  This was definitely not how Abram was expecting God to fulfill His promise to him! 

Because Sarai was impatient and lacked faith that God would fulfill His promise, she took control and the outcome spiraled into a complete mess!  She was unwilling to simply wait and let God work in her and Abram's life.  How often, are you like Sarai - taking matters into your own hands and not relinquishing complete control to God?  I too have taken matters into my own hands, and like Sarai the outcome was nothing that I would have expected or wanted!  When we ask God for something and are not immediately gratified with what we requested, we often take over and interfere with God's plan.       

What can we learn from Sarai?  Let God work in our life and simply wait.  His timing is absolutely perfect!  God knows all, and sees what lies ahead of us.  Trust and have faith that He has a plan and that even when things seem impossible, He is a God of the impossible!  Even though Sarai interfered with God's plan, God still choose to work all things together for good (Romans 8:28).  Despite the mistakes we make and our hast in making things happen in our time - God can STILL work all things together for good!  "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14)  NO WAY!  If God promised to give Abraham and Sarah a son in their very ripe old age, then who are you to doubt that He will not fulfill His promises to you!  Fear is unbelief, so do not be afraid!  Simple wait and let God work, He will bring into completion all that He has promised!

The famous song in the movie Fireproof, "While I'm Waiting".  Let's serve Him while we're waiting, let's worship Him while we're waiting!

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord