WHEN WE CAN'T WAIT

Today’s One Year Bible reading includes Genesis 16-18, which tells us more about the life of Abraham. He was not a perfect man, but he was called God’s friend (James 2:23).

Abraham was living as an alien in the land where God had led him and Sarah, and where God had promised to give them descendants. After 10 years without children, and being prosperous and successful in other ways, Abraham and Sarah thought it was time to “intervene.” They arranged for Sarah’s maid to be a surrogate mother, but the plan didn’t work—there were serious family problems in this family that God had called, and Hagar, the mother of Abraham’s child ran away.

But God was still at work—He “intervened” in Hagar’s life, He saw her needs, and sent her back to her mistress. Later, 14 years later, and against all odds, in a miraculous way, Abraham and Sarah would have their own child.

It’s not hard to see why Abraham was called a man of faith. Faith in this case also involved patience.