The Struggle Between the Promise and the Mistake

Shyju Mathew

"Experience the Word of God, in the power of the Spirit."

September 4, 2015

I’m writing this post with the hope of sparking a fresh flame in you all to not be satisfied with being ordinary believers but to be an army of Jesus lovers. Read this blog post with a fresh hunger for a word from God – He honors hunger and if we hunger for Him, He will surely fill us!

The book of Genesis tells of the story of Abraham and Sarah who forgot the promise that they had received from God that they would bear a son and decided to ‘help’ God by having a son with Hagar instead. (Read Genesis 21:14)

Many times we feel like we have to give God a push, but He’s got us covered and He does not need our help. [tweet this]

Consequences of Trying to Help God

Look at the life of Joseph – he tried to help God. He used his God given gift to prophesy, but there was a hidden agenda. Joseph tried to ‘help’ God to get him out of prison. But even after interpreting the dream correctly, the man who got out of prison forgot about Joseph. God allowed it to happen so Joseph would realise that he can’t help himself or depend on his own strength.

Trying to ‘help’ God fulfill His promises leads to making many mistakes as we can also see from the lives of Abraham and Sarah. We’re still suffering from the consequences of their mistake!

When we strive to do things in our own strength, the worse thing that can happen is the Lord taking His hand away and letting us do what we want. He says, “Baby I think its best I step out a bit so you can learn that you need me.” He likes to remind us, “It’s not by might nor by strength but by my spirit.” (Zechariah 4:6).

The Promise and the Mistake won’t Co-exist

Abraham and Sarah didn’t have the patience to wait a little longer for the promised child who was Isaac, and not Ishmael. When they conceived their son Isaac, both the mistake and the promise grew up together, but they can’t co-exist because one threatens the other.

Abraham was struggling between the promise and the mistake.
He didn’t want Hagar and Ishmael to leave as it was not their fault and Ishmael was still his son.

The servant Hagar might have been a mistake but God is the one that takes care of all; Abraham couldn’t be her savior. The first mistake he made was to accept her in his home and the second was to sustain his mistake.

Many times we try to save the people around us, but if they’re sinking without Jesus there’s a chance you’ll sink with them. There comes a time when you have to say, “I don’t want to let you go but I have to go now. I like you but I have to trust God. Everything in me wants to stay but I am not going to live in my mistake.”

When you Stick to the Promise, Persecution Will Come

Sometimes it’s hard to let go of certain people and situations and it feels like a piece of your heart is torn out, but trust God and stick to His promise for your life.

The enemy is going to come. Right when you’re focusing on Jesus many distractions will come. Just when you decide to pursue God the enemy will try to tie you down from going ahead into your future.

It hurts but you must go.

Fulfilling the Promise

Abraham touched the heart of God when you see how divinely God took care of Hagar. Even when they were in the wilderness and the water that Abraham gave them ran out God stepped in at the right time. Hagar thought her son would die and she begin to cry out. And God heard her cry.

God hears the cry of His children no matter where they are.

Even when it seems like there’s nobody around you, never forget that there is somebody above you. [tweet this]

If you can just shut your eyes and cry out there is a heaven above you, there is a God that still hears your prayer.

And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and asked her why she was crying. God saw something that she didn’t see. There was a well of water near her!

The Lord is saying, “If you saw what I see you wouldn’t cry the way you’re crying now.”

If you’re still crying it’s because you haven’t seen the secret vision, He’s hidden your solution right in your problem.

The devil wants you to lose your mind. He knows your destiny and wants to fool you. The enemy is trying to deceive some people saying there’s no hope.

Don’t grow weary, the Lord is in the business of rising up an army – Generation of Jesus lovers [tweet this]

See what God sees
God wants you to see what He has in store for you. The devil is a filthy liar. You need the eyes of God. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. Listen to what God is saying.

No matter where you are there is always a heaven above you. [tweet this]

Hagar was crying because she was rejected by Abraham. When man rejects you, it doesn’t matter because the Lord accepts you. Sometimes God allows some people to be rejected so that He can embrace them.

Some of you haven’t experienced God because you have too many friends; too much support. But when everything else goes and it seems like there’s nobody else on your journey, Daddy will show up.

The Word says, “I have heard the cry of the baby lying there.”
She couldn’t see the baby anymore, the pain was too much and so she ran away from it. But God was saying, “I know he’s out of your sight but he’s not out of mine.”
Some things in life have gone out of your reach but this is what Daddy says, “It’s not out of my reach.”

Daddy has not forgotten you.

When man (Abraham) blessed her it was with ‘some water’. But when Father God blessed her she experienced ‘a well of water’.

It’s time for you to experience a well of water.

It’s time for the love of Jesus to fill your heart anew.

I declare the grace of God is going to keep you!

What other lessons have you learned from Abraham and Sarah’s life? Which promise of God are you holding on to for your life? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.