Ever felt like the times when you relied on your own understanding instead of trusting the Lord things just went…south?
In Genesis 17:16 God speaks to Abraham about his wife Sarah, saying “and I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”
There are instances in the Bible when Sarah and Abraham both doubted God’s ability to fulfill His will. They leaned on their own understanding and the end result was anguish.
- Twice Abraham lied and called his wife his sister in order to protect himself (Genesis 12:11-13; Genesis 20:2). Twice his wife was almost married off to other men as a result of his solution to the problem he faced. Anguish.
- When Sarah gave her maid to her husband to be his wife, she grew to feel despised after Hagar conceived (Genesis 16:2-4). Sarah had elevated her maid to a place of honor and couldn’t take it back, as Hagar was the mother of Abraham’s only child. Anguish.
Both Abraham and Sarah thought they had good solutions to a problem, but both failed to realize that God didn’t need their help. God Himself asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
We will from time to time find ourselves in situations where we know what God has promised us, but we don’t see it coming to pass. Just remember that God doesn’t need our genius ideas in order to fulfill His will. All He needs is for us to believe Him. To take Him at his Word. To remind Him of His word. To hold fast to His word regardless of the circumstances. To talk like we believe His word by speaking His many promises found in the Bible. To walk like we believe by acting in faith. Let EVERY thing you do be an expression of your faith in Him.
Let’s resolve today: I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He shall direct my paths according to Proverbs 3:5-6
