Have you ever noticed how what may seem right in our eyes, can get us into trouble? That's the situation I saw as I read Genesis 16 today. Sarai and Abraham (good people by the way) didn't seek the Lord in some key decisions. So one bad decision (Sarai giving Hagar to Abraham) led to more poor decisions and sinful behavior. Now it's not too hard to point fingers here, but if we're honest, we operate just like this all too often.
So how can we get better, be more diligent, in seeking God's will for the decisions we make in our lives? And if we find ourselves in the middle of a chain of poor decisions, what action do we take to get back on track? Tami W.
P.S. Did you know that "God loves you even when..."? That's the title of our series this week on Back to the Bible. So why don't you join Dr. Kroll and me for these encouraging studies. I think you'll like them.
Chain Reaction
First I believe we have to seek patience. The world wants a decision or action right away.It's very easy to to jump without a direction to go.If you get into God's word on a regular routine and " Selah" after you read I believe God instills a guardrail that brings you to consult with him before action.It's like looking both ways before crossing the street.You have to avoid distraction from God or it would be like crossing the street while texting. When we make mistakes which is a 100% chance we will God is willing to forgive us when we realize and repent.The main thing I think is to stay focused on God to the best of your ability.
Pray w/o ceasing is the best remedy I've found for everything.
We have to seek His principles in His words consistently, and allow His spirit to speak in us and to us.
It's also important to note that our decisions and our lives affect those around us. Thousands of years later, the entire world is still affected by the actions of Abram, Sarai, & Hagar here. Perhaps the scope of our actions won't be quite so large, but they'll be no less effective in the lives we touch, for good or for evil.