This post is Day 19 in a series of studies about “Babies and Children”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Babies and Children – Day 19

Following on from yesterday, we read about the first child of Abraham. Sarah herself must have been very depressed at not being able to conceive. But then she had the bright idea one day that she could use her maid-servant to conceive for her. This caused a lot of pain.

Genesis 16:1-2

Now Sarah, Abram’s wife had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar, so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

The Thought

Following on from yesterday, we read about Abraham’s first child. Sarah herself must have been very depressed at not being able to conceive. But then she had the “bright” idea one day that she could use her maid-servant to conceive for her. The consequence of Abraham agreeing to his wife’s suggestion caused a lot of pain, for both Sarah herself and Hagar the servant.

Hagar eventually ran away because she could no longer stand the hurts caused by Sarah’s jealousy. That is when she had her own personal encounter with the Lord: The angel of The Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert … And he said “Hagar, slave of Sarah, where have you come from and where are you going?” (verse7).

Each one of us is on a spiritual road to somewhere. But too many of those around us have no idea about that, and certainly do not know where they are going.

Action

Read Genesis 16 today. How would you feel if an angel came to speak to you about a member of your family being a wild donkey of a man, and being in hostility with all his brothers (v12).

Think about how you would respond to the angel’s question …(put your name here) where have you come from and where are you going?

Pray for any “wild donkeys” in your family or neighbourhood. God had a plan for Ishmael, and he has a plan for each person born on the earth. Thank him for that today, and pray for those people by name.

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