Sunday, May 8, 2016

Perhaps

Perhaps
May 9, 2016
Genesis 16:1  "'. . . perhaps I can build a family through her.'"

Abraham and Sarah were childless yet the Lord promised to give them many descendants.  The promise was gigantic from the Lord, partly because He promised descendants as numerous as the sand on the sea shore and partly because Sarah was so well advanced in her age.  Sarah had been barren well past her prime and the possibility of her having children was too far remote.  Nonetheless, the Lord made a huge promise of a family of their own.  Abraham and Sarah grew tired of waiting for the promise to become a fulfillment, so they reasoned on their own.  Sarah had a maidservant who was still of child bearing years.  Sarah said perhaps the Lord could fulfill the lofty promise through a child born from the maidservant.  It is interesting that Sarah decided to take the matter into her own hands and reasoned with the word "perhaps".  "Perhaps" is such a whimsical word yet that is how it translates into our modern language.  The original word translated into "perhaps" suggests a wild guess, random and by chance.

Like a dumb man, Abraham listened to Sarah's "perhaps" state of mind and agreed human intervention in the form of taking a chance was required for the Lord to fulfill His promise.  In fairness to Abraham and Sarah, they didn't have the written Bible to fall back on, yet they apparently didn't understand the Lord.  The Lord promised, period.  The Lord didn't promise maybe, with a wild guess and a random chance.  The Lord promised, the end.  The Lord already had a plan and didn't need input or suggestions from a human being.  The Lord didn't need a man or a woman making decisions with "perhaps."  Perhaps that is the worst thing we can do, rationalize how the Lord can and will perform His job.  If the Lord promised, then we need to rest in that promise.  Taking matters into our own hands will only make matters worse.

The Lord eventually brought forth the promised child, but not after Abraham and Sarah screwed things up by their own human intervention.  The child from the "perhaps" scenario became the enemy of the child from the promise.  Today we have war in the middle east as a result of such human efforts to help the Lord out.  The Lord didn't need Abraham or Sarah helping Him out and the Lord doesn't need our suggestions either in carrying out His plan or promises.  If you think back on it, the Lord didn't have to let Abraham and Sarah in on His plan.  I've found this gets me in to the same trouble as it did for them.  If I have a glimpse of the future, I'm determined to push it forward as fast and as hard as I can.  The longer the Lord takes to fulfill the future, the more I'm likely to get involved.

You and I do not need to get involved in the affairs of Heaven, unless specifically asked.  In fact, we are to carry out one assignment and then wait for the next.  Our job is to follow the Lord's plan and not make plans of our own.  Our job is to do what He asks and not come up with our assignments.  Our job is to do our job, not His.

Scripture says there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it only leads to death.  As strong as it sounds, our ideas are only worthy of being put to death in comparison to His glorious design.  Submit to His promise and wait for it; perhaps you should never take matters into your own hands.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Gen 16-21, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 14:12 

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