The Joy of Homemaking

Genesis 16: 1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

Lesson two from this one little verse: decisions that we make in our past can lead to consequences in the future.

Do you remember when Abram took his family to Egypt (see this post for a refresher) because of the terrible famine? While they were in Egypt, Abram and Sarai acquired servants and other forms of wealth.  Although I cannot be certain of this, I can imagine that Hagar was one of the Egyptian servants that they gain on their journey.

Sometimes, we do not realize that quick decisions we make have much longer effects.  In fact, our world is still experiencing the effects of Abram's decision to travel to Egypt during the famine.  Just look at the Middle East. 

When Abram took his family into Egypt, he had no idea that this choice would affect the history of the world, the relationships of countries, and the unrest in the Middle East.  Why? Because this choice, brought someone into his home who was not a part of God's plan or promise to Abram.  And when we take things into our own hands, we tend to disrupt the plan that God has for us and our lives.  Yes, God can turn things around and make them right again, but wouldn't it be better to just allow His plan to work itself out in His time?  Easier said than done, I know.

Although we will get into the actual choices made here in future posts, for us as wives and mothers, we need to remember to pray about what we do now, and ask God to show us how our choices will affect our children and grandchildren in the future.