Is the Short Way Always the Easiest Way???

 

 Hello all! You are probably wondering about the post title...and you're like, "Uh, of course the short way is the easiest way...it may not be the best way, but its definitely easier!!!" Well, I'm here to tell you that what I'm saying is true...at least for the most part....

   We're going to dive into the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. Now...if you want to brush up on that story, visit Genesis 16...

   Anyway, I would like to just get down into my points, so if you need/want to read it again...I would highly recommend it so you know what I'm talking about. ; )

   Let's back up for a moment and remember that God made a one-sided covenant with Abram...meaning that Abram didn't have to promise anything as part of the deal...only God did. And what was that promise? That he would make Abram's descendants as the stars in the sky and the sand of the sea...basically, you're gonna have a lot of grandkids, great-grandkids, etc. But, as we saw with them in Egypt, Abram likes to help God out. Now, he wasn't perfect (SURPRISE!!! We aren't either!!!) so he made some mistakes along the way. Regardless, God had made a promise, and since nothing was happening soon enough for him, he tried to guess how God was going to do it and took Hagar as his wife...therefore having a child through her. WELL! That caused just a little bit of drama, with Sarah mad at Hagar because she's flaunting her baby in front of her, and Abram's stuck in the middle of this mess because he listened to Sarah. So he just tells Sarah to do whatever she wants...so of course she's going to send her away to die by herself with her baby. I mean....it seemed like no one thought this one all the way through!

   That's where we get into the point of this lesson. Have you ever wondered what your purpose is in life? I know I have...I'm a planner, I have to admit, so I wish I knew EVERY SINGLE THING that was going to happen to me so I would be prepared and do what He would have me to do. But you know what?!? God has a purpose for each stage of our life...and if we rush it, we end up exactly how Abram, Sarah, and Hagar did....in a huge mess.

   Try to let this sink in for a minute...God has you in the place you are in for a reason...whether it is to help someone see Christ, strengthen you so that you lean on Him more than yourself or other things, or anything else that he possibly has planned. : )

   To sum everything up, God doesn't give you the road map of your life for a reason...we would probably jump ahead trying to do everything we could to prepare for that single thing while we miss out on all the other things that God would have us do to build and strengthen us. Instead, God gives us the next step to take...and that's all we need to know!