Bible Reading: Psalm 146:1- 10
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” – Psalm 146:3 (KJV).
The world is full of challenges. Sometimes, these challenges appear to weigh you down so much that you begin to seek alternative to God’s solution. This is what happened to Sarai in Gen. 16:1-5. After she had waited several years for a child without result, it seems to her that God may never answer her prayer. So she decided to look for alternative to God’s solution by asking her husband to sleep with her housemaid; Haggai. She felt that the housemaid would provide her with the solution she couldn’t get from God.
To her, Haggai was a nice girl and she thought she would use her as a baby making factory, and would still be able to keep her good relationship with her husband. She did not recognise the word of God in Psalm 146:3 (KJV) which says, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” She did not look at the possibility of Haggai trying to take over Abraham from her after getting pregnant.
Well, the moment Haggai became pregnant, she became insolent to her knowing that she had, in a few months, what Sarai could not have in years of marriage. She felt she would become the mistress of the house having been able to give to the head of the house what his wife could not produce! This was contrary to the plan of Sarai. But God who created her knew that human being are generally selfish and that Haggai was going to attempt to take over the home if she was given the opportunity. God is not limited in knowledge or wisdom so He knew that all these would happen hence, he did not give the alternative to Sarai.
The result is that what Sarai thought would end her sorrow instead compounded it! Her problems multiplied as the housemaid was no longer under control. And she realized, she could not really call the child her own as she had possibly planned earlier. Are you in a situation like this? By the mercy of God, you will be restored.
You should learn to be patient for God knowing that every devil’s alternative has grave consequences. The alternative may be presented to your heart as the ultimate solution but when the result comes it becomes a greater problem. So it is better for you to wait on God in faith in every area knowing that God’s promise may tarry but it will surely come. Habakkuk 2:3 (KJV) says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
Prayer: Father, in every area I have chosen a devil’s alternative, have mercy and restore me in Jesus name.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero