“So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.”
(Gen ‭16‬:‭2‬)

A Brilliant Plan

It was a school morning.  And for some reason, we had left home later than usual. There were just two lanes on the narrow road.  As I glanced at my watch, my heart raced! The cars were at a standstill, and we were running late. The way things were going, there was no way we would make it to the children's school in time. Then I noticed that vehicles behind us were shifting into the free opposite lane and were moving forward.  As I watched, the cars ahead of us started moving over as well. My initial reaction was to criticise their illegal behavior. However, my perspective started to change as the seconds grew into minutes and the number of cars passing overhead increased.  And then I saw the policeman motioning for those cars to continue driving. Convincing myself that it was okay since everyone was doing it, I quickly maneuvered into the other lane.  I sighed with relief at the progress we had made because of the move and got ready to turn left onto the road that would soon take us to the school.  Without any notice, the policeman who had been motioning to the other cars ahead of us from the side of the road suddenly stepped out in front of our car and yelled, "Stop, and go back!"  I felt as though a hard earned prize had been snatched from me.  As I sat there staring back at the non-bulging policeman after several failed attempts to get past him, in my heart I heard, "You know better." Embarrassment and sadness filled my heart as I reversed the car and went back to my lane.  It had taken a corrupt police officer to tell me what I already knew. 

Ten years after they had settled in the land of Canaan,  Sarai decides to speed up God's promise by giving her slave girl to her husband Abram  as wife.  Abram agreed. Perhaps for three reasons:

•  It was customary for a woman's slave girl to bear children on her behalf.
• To keep the peace in the home.
• The child/children would be Sarai’s and his. 

Sarai had every reason to believe that her plan would succeed. It was a brilliant solution  to the shame and sorrow that life had thrown her way as a woman and wife.  She had heard the success stories of other wives who had struggles with infertility and had chosen this path. It is very likely that she was present at their  babies' weaning ceremonies. What she was not prepared for, however, was Hagar's hateful and disrespectful reaction towards her when she realized that she was pregnant.  

Using unacceptable methods and tactics

 to achieve a desired result 

or try to bring to pass God's divine purpose

 will only lead to further 

heartbreak, confusion, and disappointments.

 Usually slaves did as they were  commanded by their masters and mistresses because they were their properties. Physical punishment was used  to keep slaves in submission, punish disobedience and serve as example to other slaves.  Any sign of disrespect,  disobedience or insolence would result in provocation.  A female slave understood that  in such an arrangement as her mistress giving her to her husband for the purpose of procreation, the child would be her mistress.'  So Hagar's reaction was  a taboo, and a provocation.   Abram, understanding that any sign of weakness would interfere with the master/mistress' absolute power over their slaves and encourage slave rebellions and expose the master-slave relationship to public views, chose not to intervene in Sarai's reaction to Hagar's behavior.  Sarai thus assumed a position over her slave girl that she  had never seen  nor anticipated; it was harsh and drastic, leaving Hagar with no option than to flee from her owner. This was the birth of the contention between Abraham's descendants with the slave girl and his descendants with his wife Sarai (Gal 4). 

Everyone is doing it.

Holding on to the promise of God can be trying when you have waited for months and years without seeing any physical change in the situation.  The pressure mounts up as you hear of others who were in a similar situation getting their results.  The counsel of loved ones and friends who previously were not given any thought starts playing over and over in your head.  I get you, the temptation can be very real. But in the midst of these temptations, remember that:

• The Lord is faithful. He does not lie nor change His mind (Heb 6:18).  Keep believing and waiting.  Don't give in to short cuts. Refuse to compromise your beliefs and values. Just because everyone is doing it and it seems to be working does not mean that it will work for you. If it does work, you will not get the happiness and fulfillment you had hoped for, and it will cost you in ways you never imagined.

  God  is not bound by our time and schedule.  He will do it at His time and according to His plan

  Using self-help methods and tactics to achieve a desired result or to try to bring to pass God's divine purpose will only lead to further heartbreak, confusion, and disappointments.

  Patience Yields Peaceful and Lasting  Results In his letter to the believers, James wrote, "But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (Jam 1:4).  Keep your eyes on His word to you and not on the situation. Honor, peace, and lasting results are always the outcome of diligence and patient endurance.

God Can Be Trusted

God can be trusted.  Along with every promise that the Lord makes is a plan for its fulfillment. He has that plan, and is able to follow it through. He can be trusted. He does not need your help. All He wants is for you to keep believing and trusting Him until you see the fulfilment  of His promise (Psa 32:8). 

 How has your patient endurance paid off?

Summary

• Just because everyone is doing it does not make it right.
• Hold on to His promise to You
• God is Faithful
• Using self-help methods and tactics will lead to confusion, heartbreak. and disappointment.
• Patience yields peaceful, and lasting results