The best laid plans...

Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. – Genesis 16.1-4

Abram and Sarai were just like us. They were still trying to help God along in doing His work. Okay, maybe it isn’t Eliezer that God is going to use. God said a son would come from Abraham himself.

So maybe the problem was Sarai? Maybe there was a way fro Abram to still be the father.

Sarai had a servant named Hagar. Now Sarai was the schemer. She came up with the notion that they could use Hagar as a surrogate mother for Abram’s son. Abram agreed with the plan.

So it worked. Hagar had a son and they called him Ishmael.

Abram had a son!

But this wasn’t God’s plan – it was Sarai and Abram’s plan. And, like most of the ‘best laid plans of mice and men’ they often go awry.

This caused a real mess. Jealousy and anger and betrayal and near death all resulted from Abram and Sarai trying to sort things out on their own.

And so it goes with us. How often do we try to do things our way instead of waiting on God and royally mess things up? My problem is that I am a problem solver. I see a situation or a problem and I want to do all I can to sort it out, sometimes even when it is none of my business. And usually, when I jump ahead of God, I mess things up.

Burns finishes the idea well.

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, (you are not alone)
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley, (often go awry)
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou are blest, compared wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!

So teach me Lord, please teach me to wait on you and your always perfect plan and stop with the guessing and fearing.