DEVOTION - SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 2012

DEVOTION – SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 2012

‘PUSH PAST”

By

BOB COY

But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman….” Genesis 21:12 (NKJV)

Think back to the last time your emotions were in the driver’s seat, where you felt so strongly about something that it truly tore you up inside. That’s right where Abraham is in this passage.

The dilemma began several years earlier. His wife Sarah had been barren her entire life and was past the age of getting pregnant. So she suggested that Abraham father a son through her servant Hagar, which He did. But a few years later, God miraculously enabled Sarah to have a son of her own.

Now there’s a problem. There’s a son via Hagar (named Ishmael) and a son via Sarah (named Isaac). And as they begin to grow, it’s obvious that a confrontation is immanent. Ishmael wants Abraham’s power and authority passed down to him, but that wasn’t going to work because God wanted to establish Isaac as the heir.

Sarah saw the obvious. Ishmael had to go. But Abraham’s heart was truly torn. “How can I put out my own flesh and blood?” It’s then that God speaks into the situation and gives Abraham the affirmation he needed in order to go against his emotional instincts. He commands Abraham to push past his heart’s apprehensions and do what had to be done.

Notice how strategic the “But God” is in this passage. It’s the pivot-point of man being stalled in his sentiments and recognizing and responding to what he has to do.

At some point, because of our emotions, all of us are going to have a hard time doing what we know we ought. We’re going to be torn-up inside by our feelings. But God has the power to reveal the truth of a situation to us, and when He does, it pushes us past our feelings in order to accomplish what needs to be done. Let God’s truth drive your deeds, not your emotions!

Think About It…