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 (Genesis 16:2).
Many sorrows have been brought about because we didn’t or don’t want to wait on God.
Abram and Sarai were old; they had been praying and waiting for ten years, and Abram was still without an heir. Sarai suggested that Abram receive a child by her maid Hagar. This was in accordance with legal customs, as evidenced by legal codes and marriage contracts of that dispensation.
Ten years had elapsed since God had promised Abram an heir, so Abram and Sarai decided to take matters into their own hands. They were working from the works of the flesh rather than allowing the child to be produced by the promise of the Spirit of God.
Hagar, the handmaid, gave birth to Ishmael, which brought about envy and jealousy from Sarai, although it was she who influenced Abram to have a child by the handmaid. Taking matters into their own hands brought contention in the camp and most likely between Abram and Sarai.
Eventually, Sarai was blessed to conceive, and Isaac was born. One day, Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, who had been born unto Abraham (Abram), mocking, and Sarah (Sarai) asked Abraham to cast out the bondwoman and her son, and Abraham hearkened to his wife.
When we choose not to wait on God, sometimes not only does it hurt us, but it hurt others. As Christian women, don’t go before God nor walk behind Him, but walk beside Him to hear and follow His instructions.
When you’re walking before or behind a person, you can’t hear what they’re saying; it’s the same with the Lord. Friends walk together, and their communication is walking together in agreement. If we’re doing the opposite of what the Lord would have us do, we usually wind up with disappointment or sorrow.
Wait on the Lord and His timing, don’t birth Ishmaels, don’t go through hurt and pain you wouldn’t have to go through if you had just waited on the Lord. The Lord loves you even when you go the opposite way of His plan for your life.
Waiting produces patience, patience produces faith, faith produces your prayer being answered at God’s appointed time. No good thing will the Lord withhold from them that walk uprightly before Him. Let God be God, and you be the percipient of His blessings.