Man-made Solutions for God-Allowed Problems

UV 3460/10000 Man-made Solutions for God Allowed Problems

So Sarai said to Abram, “ See here, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. I am asking you to go in to (the bed of ) my maid ( so that she may bear you a child); perhaps I will obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to Sarai and did as she said.

Genesis 16 v 2

Sarai was frustrated with her apparent barrenness. She did believe the promise of God given under covenant that they would have a son. She could not wait for the fulfilment of the promise. She decided to do what many of us often do, try to find a man-made solution to God- allowed problems, or to try to help God solve the problem. On top of such folly in retrospect, Abram, the man of faith listened to her counsel and did as she said without thinking of the long term complications of such a decision.

The serpent leader had induced Sarai to feel bad about her barrenness and suggested the solution, the short cut that would make Abram unfaithful to his marital commitment. The Servant Leader never advices short cuts that are unethical. Knowing that nothing is impossible for God, He counsels patience, to pray and wait for the answer from the Lord. The remedy became worse than the problem for the servant Hagar became haughty in her attitude towards Sarai, her mistress. She started looking at her with contempt and even allowed the creeping ambition sent into her heart by the serpent leader that she could become the mistress of the house of Abram. The Servant Leader Jesus rightly diagnoses that out of the heart of man comes murder, fornication, rape and every type of crime and sin. He offers a remedy of faith in His word, His promises.

The Servant Leader Jesus is the solution to God-allowed problems. He is the Yes and Amen to all God’s promises. He is the One who seals it, clinches it, nails it for us. He makes negative situations positive. He releases the grace of God into our predicaments to either resolve it or to give us strength to bear it. Nothing is impossible for Him and He makes possible the impossible for those who trust Him and His word. We need to think that the One who gave up Heaven for us, who gave up on possessions for us, who gave up His family for us, who gave up His clothes, His body, His blood, will He not give us what we so desperately need? The serpent leader sows doubts and fears into our hearts to weaken our faith and mar our relationships with both God and man even as he sowed the seeds of antagonism between Sarai and her maid, Hagar.