Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
This passage of scripture teaches us that there are certain situations in which our faith may be pushed to the brink, and it is at times like these when we should be extremely careful to stay the course, and not lose sight of the promises of God. In the passage above, we see where the faith of both Abraham and Sarah faltered, and because they thought that the days for her promised pregnancy were prolonged, satan tempted them to try "Plan B" as a sure means of helping God to fulfill His own promise. Whenever decisions are made in desperate situations such as these, the actions taken as well as the results are often contrary to God's will, as the after history of all those involved clearly showed.
This one lesson, more than all others should be taken away from studying this entire episode, that whenever the promises of God seem as if they won't be fulfilled, the suggestions that are made by well meaning people should be very carefully weighed in the light of God's word, and if they do not line up perfectly, then they should be promptly discarded, for satan often uses those who are closest to us to suggest a wrong course of action. This is not to say that we should not be open to advice from those who may have better knowledge and experience of the issues at hand, however, we must be keenly aware that it is at times of extremity that the temptations of satan seem to make the most sense.
When king Saul was told to wait for seven days for Samuel's arrival, he actually obeyed and waited patiently for the stipulated day, but when Samuel did not show up at the appointed time, the temptation to go outside of God's revealed will seemed all the more logical, and he then succumbed to the devil's suggestion to offer sacrifice for himself, an act that was strictly forbidden by God. Saul's logical reasoning shows us the power that temptation can have over our minds if we are not very careful, for most of satan's temptations are predicated on logical reasoning, and it is a fact, that when they are lined up next to God's requirements, they often seem to make much more sense. Let's read:
1st Samuel 13:7 "As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling". 8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal. 9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came". 11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed".... 12 "I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
If a Christian is promised by God, that his rent will be paid by a certain date, because the landlord has threatened eviction by the same day, and the time comes and goes without the promise being fulfilled, what should he now do? Is he then to reach for "Plan B" by dipping into his tithes and offerings to prevent himself and his family from becoming homeless, or is he supposed to wait and wait and wait? It is at times like these when our faith is pushed to the brink, and when satan's "Logical" reasoning seems to make a whole lot of sense. Here is when various loopholes are suggested as a means whereby the promises of God might be fulfilled.
It is therefore of critical importance that as Christians we decide to stay the course with God, even when His promises may seem to be delayed, because faith that is not tested cannot be trusted, and it is only when we are brought to the point of trusting in God beyond any logical reasoning, that God can declare that He knows that we fear Him. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that demonstrates this sacred truth, and it is the will of God that we now exercise an enduring faith that will not shrink, nor tremble on the brink, though tested by many a foe. Let's read:
Genesis 22:11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!