By the Rev. Graham Tucker

Last Sunday was Father’s Day.

I have been reading about fathers.

It is interesting to me that God spent so much time in inspiring Moses to tell the story of His plan for finding just the right bride for Isaac.

One of the lessons from this whole story is that God does things in His own time frame.

He had promised Abraham a son. It was Abraham and Sarah who made the decision to take matters into their own hands and try to move God’s promise at their own speed and in their own hands and in their own way. Of course, this is the same mistake we all make!!

When we read Genesis Chapter 21, we find in verse 5 that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Like most young people, Abraham and Sarah had expected the birth of a child many years prior to this.

As is the case, when we take matters into our own hands and meddle with God’s plans, we make a mess of things! This was the case here. Our arrangements are never a satisfactory substitution for God’s plans.

Look at some examples in God’s word.

Look at Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their sin with fig leaves. Look at Cain and Abel….Cain tried to substitute his offering for God’s requirement.

Look at Abraham and Sarah’s plan to take God’s promise into their own hands and try to force their plan to be God’s plan. When they took their plan instead of waiting on

God, the end result has created problems in the Middle East which are still causing problems to this day.

One of the problems that existed is that Sarah died without ever having the pleasure of seeing the promised son (Isaac) married.

The son she saw was Ishmael, not Isaac the promised son.

What a joy it could have been for Sarah to see God’s plan develop!!!

I ask you, what are you missing because you have tried to follow your plan instead of God’s plan??