Jumping Ahead of God
Daily Old Testament Reading: Genesis 15-17
Daily Focus Passage: Genesis 16
When we receive the call of the Lord, we need to pay attention to the details and trust in the Lord's leading and provision for the calling to become complete. In Genesis 16, we find that Abram has received the call of the Lord and that the Lord has provided a declaration of how the call would be fulfilled through the blessing of a son. Abram and Sarai heard the command and struggled to understand how it would come to pass because of their physical limitations. As a result, they jumped ahead of the Lord instead of waiting in his timing and trusting entirely in him. Have you ever heard the Lord's call and struggled to wait patiently?
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR HIS CHILDREN
The Lord has a good, acceptable, and perfect plan for his children. This calling challenges us to follow in faithfulness and trust that the call leads to a moment of blessing. God's call to Abram included a blessing that extended beyond him and to all generations. God's desired to bless him and use him to become a blessing to others. Like Abram, God has a call for our lives. He seeks to bless and use us to bless others and the next generations.
The blessing occurs as God calls people to bring glory to him. When Abram walked in faithfulness, glory came to the Lord as obedience demonstrated the activity of worship. Later, when Sarai gives birth to a son, we find that the Lord again is glorified for his goodness, promise, and faithfulness. The plan of God on our lives opens a thoroughfare to glorify the Lord in obedience. Thus, God's plan for our lives is good, acceptable, and perfect because it blesses us and glorifies the Lord.
WE MUST SEE THE GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT NATURE OF GOD'S PLAN
God's plan for our lives is good, acceptable, and perfect, according to the apostle Paul in Romans 12. This declaration comes as Paul understands God's work in people's lives is for blessing and glory. The truth concerning God's plan can be found in the call upon Abram's life and demonstrates these characteristics.
When we understand the goodness of God's will, we grasp that God's plan is good for us. God's will promotes spiritual development and kingdom work and allows us to become closer to the Lord. When we grasp the acceptable nature of God's will, we find that God's will is acceptable. This does not mean it is easy, but it does mean that we are okay with it. At the same time, we must understand the perfect nature of God's will. God's will is perfect in all parts. It is perfect for us and perfect because it is the will and plan of the Lord. When you think about God's calling on your life, do you understand this plan to be good, acceptable, and perfect?
WAIT ON THE LORD
We live in a culture of instant gratification. We do not want to wait on anything; we want what we want and want it now. This mentality exists when we receive the command of the Lord. The Lord's calling often includes a time of waiting on the Lord. When the temptation comes from instant gratification, we can find ourselves jumping ahead of the Lord and his timing. In Genesis 16, Sarai attempted to force God's plan to occur in her manner and her timing. Her attempt to force God's hand led to an activity of sin that existed outside God's will. When considering Sarai's behavior, do we see ourselves attempting to force God's hand instead of waiting on him?
We allow outside voices to gain authority over our obedience to the calling of the Lord. When we struggle to wait on the Lord, we search for other voices to speak into the dynamics. Sarai went to Abram and shared her plan in a manner that convinced him to jump ahead of the plan and timing of the Lord. Abram listened and went along with Sarai's plan. They began to attempt to fix the unbroken will and plan of God. Thus, their attempt to fix the plan led them to a moment of sinfulness. Do you ever grow impatient and seek others to give an insight into how to push the will of God along in your way and timing?
We never find satisfaction when we jump ahead of the Lord. Sarai's plan backfired on her. She developed a plan to bring blessing and joy; instead, her plan brought bitterness, jealousy, and anger. Sarai became driven by these emotions and, as a result, became a hater of Hagar. Peace and harmony could not come outside God's will and way because God alone is the place of peace and harmony. Are you lacking satisfaction because you jumped ahead of the Lord?
Waiting on the Lord and his timing is a tough task. Yet, when we read Genesis 16 and the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, we find the importance of following the Lord in faithfulness. We see the dangers and pitfalls of jumping ahead of the Lord. As you seek the will of the Lord for your life, will you commit to wait on him? Will you fight the temptation to jump ahead of the Lord?
