Today’s Reading Genesis 16-18; Mark 6
Our Old Testament reading today tells of the early days of God’s interaction with Abram and Sarai. Abram and Sarai sought God’s favor to bear a child. Sarai was unable to conceive a child for many years. The years, days, and hours of weighing disappointment eroded Abram and Sarai’s focus and faith on God’s providence. Rather than continue to trust that God would bring them a child, Sarai encouraged Abram to be with her servant, Hagar, in hopes that she, Sarai, might be able to receive a child through Hagar.
As the story goes, Hagar became pregnant with Abram’s child. Rather than celebrate, Hagar “became despised in her eyes.” Sarai resented Hagar for the very act that she had encouraged. She suggested the union between Abram and Hagar and then turned against the result.
How can we apply this story to our lives? I think we all can think of an example or two in our lives when God’s timing did not line up with our timing. We wanted something so bad that we were willing to “go our own way,” maybe it was cheating, stealing, or just sinning against God to get something we desperately wanted. Rather than pray, trust, and be patient, we allowed our own worldly desires to supersede our faith in God’s providence to provide us what we believe we need, at the time we need it.
We learn later in chapter 17 that God came to Abram and Sarai and informed them they would bear a child. He changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. The significance of this action for God was that Abraham was a hundred years old, while Sarah was ninety. Both understood the obvious that they were past child-bearing years, but God still provided them a son, Isaac.
Onto Mark 6 in the New Testament, where we learn more about Jesus’ ministry on earth. Jesus was in His hometown, Nazareth, where we healed the sick, preached the good news of salvation, and fed over 5000 men (likely thousands more with women and children included) after He finished preaching the Gospel to them. Even after thousands witnessed the goodness and miraculous deeds of Jesus, they still doubted Him.
No matter how much Jesus did, doubters and non-believers were still present. Since Jesus and His family were known to many in Nazareth, many of the people could not get past their own skepticism that Jesus was the Savior of man. How could this boy of a carpenter possibly know all these things about God and how could their neighbor be their Savior?
The common theme of these readings is we must humble ourselves to trust God. Suffering is a part of our lives, and we must have the humility to welcome His presence in our lives. God did not ever promise happiness in the Bible, but He points to His everlasting presence in our lives and the peace and understanding that comes from a relationship with Him. Whatever you are going through, no matter how traumatic, profound, or debilitating, God will see you through it. Like His gift of Jesus, God is showing us signs and indications of His presence every day. The question is whether our hearts, minds, and eyes are open enough to see Him.
