Storyline: Sarah

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you…”

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.  But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children.  Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her…”

Genesis 12:1-2; 16:1-2

If there’s a woman in the Scriptures I suppose I relate to the most, it would be Sarah.  I know that she did some pretty thoughtless things that are still affecting our world today; however, the bottom line is that I often react the same way she did.  Women are pretty much the same across time and cultures.  So, here are the basic reasons why I see some comparison:

1)   On the downside, I often try to play God of my own life, just as she did, and manipulate circumstances to get what I want.  Just like Sarah, I find that when I do, the repercussions are often detrimental.  God always knows best!  While it’s within his power to stop me, sometimes, he simply sits back and watches as I mess up, in order that I can learn and come out conforming more to the image of his Son.

2)      On the upside, just like Sarah, my life has been a bit transient.  It seems like God has interrupted our lives at some of the most comfortable moments, and moved us on to something new – a different house, a different city, a different state, a different country, and always, a different ministry…  Often, as with Abraham and Sarah, God doesn’t even give us the complete details.  However scary and painful this might be, especially for a woman who automatically develops a root system in order to thrive, I’ve learned that God always knows best!  He’s never failed to bring me into a “good land” and a place of abundance.

Here’s the bottom line of what I have learned from a manipulator like Sarah –

·         God is Sovereign.  He’s never off of his throne.  He is always in control.

·         God has my best interests at heart.  Where he leads will always be for my good.

·         It is always best for me to keep my hands to myself, and stop trying to “fix” my life according to my agenda.  I need to stop playing God, and start praying…  As I prayerfully seek him, he never fails to answer (Jeremiah 33:3).

Oh Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you!

(2 Chron. 20.12)