When Abram left his country, family & all he was familiar with to follow God, he was seventy-five. When God renewed his promise first time, he was eight-five. Yeah, he waited 10 years. Then, he waited another 4 years before Sarai took the matter into her own hands and Ishmael was born when he was eighty-five. Then, Abram to wait another 14 years until God renewed his promise of a child. When Issac was finally born, Abram was 100 years old. From the first promise, it took 25 years to see his child. It is so easy for us to read these passages and say “How could Abram not listen to God?”. Doesn’t it feel so different knowing that Abram waited 25 years? What have you waited for 25 years in your life?

Apparently taking matters into our own hands or leaning on our own understanding seems to as much of a challenge for me today as it was back then. I could see how many justifications she could come up with – I am so old; God did not say the child would come from my body; we waited for over 10 years; other people have more than one wife; maybe God needs my help (my favourite justification, by the way). Does any of these justification sound familiar or close to your life? Then, what she wanted actually happened – Hagar was pregnant. Of course she was proud — my mistress could not do, but I was able to do! Sarai did not foresee this consequence to a sequence of events put in initiated by her, did she? Then, she shifted the blame to Abram – hey, look what happened. Abram, just like Adam, said – “I don’t know; do whatever you want with your servant”…. Deny his part in agreeing to participate Sarai’s scheme in the first place.

Ladies — do you have anything in your life that you are taking charge of, even “helping God along”? Please stop.

Gentlemen – do you have anything in your life that you are abdicating your part in participating or denying your responsibility as the head of the family? Please stop.

Let’s wait out to see what God does in our life, even though we may have to wait for a long time.