Hi friend, I hope that you are ready to dig into Genesis with me today. Abram/Abraham is the man of the hour in this section. As you read through a few chapters describing turning points in his life, don’t you wonder what the few chapters would read like if someone was commissioned to write your story? How much different would it be if you were in Abe’s sandals? Hmmm… Well, this is what brings me to the topic of consequences. We know about them and talk to our kids about them, with all of this wisdom we’ve gained in life have the potential consequences guided us toward better decisions?
Let’s begin with an overview.
Genesis 15-19
Chapter 16 | Sarai takes baby matters into her own hands. Instead of trusting God’s promise and waiting on His timing, she came up with her own plan to help God out. We’ll focus on this incident later.
Chapter 17 | Abraham is obedient and his covenant is confirmed. Consequences may have a bit of a negative connotation, but truly there are consequences for all of the choices we make. As we watch Abraham’s obedience we see God’s blessings.
Chapter 18 | Abraham and Sarah are unknowing hosts to the Lord. Hebrews 13:2 says that you need to be hospitable at every opportunity. You never know who it is at your table! This is another relatable instance in that we evidence God’s blessing because of patience, trust, and obedience.
Chapter 19 | Disobedience is punished and Lot suffers because of it. Lot loses his home, his position, and his wife, and ends up in a whale of a mess with his daughters who make terrible choices as a consequence of his leading and example. Their decision result in creating even more enemies of the Lord and of His people.
Just this morning, I was not paying close attention to my schedule which resulted in me being 30 minutes late for a dental appointment. Well, the consequences of that are going to cost me time and money. In addition, the staff and their plans were upset, the patient next to me was delayed, and these are only the immediate effects I was aware of.
The same principle applies when I decide I am too busy, or just don’t feel like reading my Bible, praying, fellowshipping, or worshiping. I begin to disconnect with God. I become more anxious about “where is God” in my life because I lose touch with Him. Not His doing, but a consequence of my actions.
Can you relate?
Let's think about this
Those are all pretty short-term examples. What about those times when you feel a nudge to do something for God, but you put it off? Or maybe you feel a nudge but you go ahead of God and try get things going without Him. Ala Sarah and her plan to start this large family God talked about.
Sarah didn’t wait on God. Sarah didn’t trust Him enough to let Him carry out the plan.
When I am spending a lot of time with God, I hear Him. Better still I talk about Him. My trust in Him grows. This is where the sourdough comes in.
lesson
Sourdough bread takes a long time. Often it involves other people who have shared a starter with you. It is a process of waiting and trusting which are not helped by your impatience. The nicest loaves of bread I’ve made come from my obedience to the process. As I try to rush and try to inject my ideas, the results have not been so great.
The bottom line is God’s plan will be carried out regardless of you. You’re going to make everything easier like Abraham or more complicated like Sarah & Lot and his girls.
YOU choose!
Read your Bible. Pray. Meet with other believers. Worship God. These simple actions lead you to a healthy growing relationship with God, and to consequences that will bless you and others for generations.
