Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 15
Monday


THE BLAME
GAME

READ:
Genesis 16:1-6;
21:8-13
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My wrong be upon
you!...The LORD
judge between you and
me. __Genesis 16:5
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When Jenny's husband left her for another woman, she vowed that she would never meet his new wife. But when she realized that her bitterness was damaging her children's relationship with their father, she asked for God's help to take the first steps toward overcoming bitterness in a situation she couldn't change.

In genesis 16, we read the story of a couple to whom God promised a baby. When Sarai suggested that her husband Abram have a child with their servant Hagar, she wasn't fully trusting God for the child He had promised. When the baby was born, Hagar despised Sarai (Gen.16:3-4), and Sarai became bitter (vv.5-6).

Hagar had been the slave with rights and suddenly she was special. How did Sarai react? By blaming others, including Abram (v.5). God's promise was realized in the birth of Isaac 14 years later. Even his weaning celebration was spoiled by sarai's attitude (21:8-10).

It may never have been easy for Sarai to have lived with the consequences of their decision to go ahead of God. It may have taken a miracle of grace to change her attitude but that could have transformed everything. Sarai couldn't reverse the decision, but through God's strength, she could have lived with it differently, and given God the glory.
__Marion Stroud

```````````````````````Thank You, Lord, that though our situations`````````````````````````
``````````````````````may not change, your grace is strong enough`````````````````````````
`````````````````````to change us in our situations. Help us as we`````````````````````````
`````````````````````struggle sometimes to live in this sinful world.````````````````````````
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By God's grace we can reflect His light
in the dark times.

************************************Today's Bible Reading __ Genesis 16:1-6; 21:8-13)************************

Genesis 16
1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife,
had borne him no children.
And she had an Egyptian
maidservant whose name
was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to
Abram, "See now, the LORD
has restrained me from
bearing children. Please, go
in to my maid perhaps I
shall obtain children by her."

And Abram heeded the
voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai,
Abram's wife, took Hagar
her maid, the Egyptian, and
gave her to her husband
Abram to be his wife, after
Abram had dwelt ten years in
the land of Canaan. 4 So he
went in to Hagar, and she
conceived. And when she
saw that she had conceived,
her mistress became despised
in her eyes. 5 Then sarai said
to Abram, "My wrong be
upon you! I gave my maid
into your embrace; and when
she saw that she had
conceived, I became despised
in her eyes. The LORD judge
between you and me."

6 So Abram said to sarai,
"Indeed your maid is in your
hand; do to her as you
please." and when Sarai
dealt harshly with her, she
fled from her presence.

Genesis 21
8 So the child grew and was
weaned. And Abraham made
a great feast on the same day
that Isaac was weaned. 9 And
Sarah saw the son of Hagar
the Egyptian, whom she had
borne to Abraham, scoffing.

10 Therefore she said to
Abraham, "Cast out this
bondwoman and her son; for
the son of this bondwoman
shall not be heir with my
son, namely with Isaac."

11 And the matter was very
displeasing in Abraham's
sight.... 12 But God said to
Abraham, "Do not let it be
displeasing...because of
the lad or because of your
bondwoman. Whatever
Sarah has said to you, listen
to her voice; for in Isaac your
seed shall be called. 13 yet I
will also make a nation of
the son of the bondwoman,
because he is your seed."