Facing The Consequences

“He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” - Genesis 16:12


We have been discussing why we should not step outside the will of God. We know that He has a perfect plan for our lives, and that when we follow that plan, good things will happen. This does not mean everything will always be good. But we will bear good fruit as a result of obedience.

On the other end of the spectrum, when we reject God’s will and attempt to do our own thing, we will face the consequences. Abram found this out when he continued with his wife Sarai’s plan to sleep with her servant girl. They agreed upon this because they thought God was running out of time and took matters into their own hands.

The result was what we see in Genesis 16:12 where the angel tells the servant girl, “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” This is describing the son she will carry for Abram and Sarai.

They took matters into their own hands, and a son was born. But that was not the plan God had intended. God was going to give Abram and Sarai a baby of their own. When they went ahead and tried to do things their own way, there were consequences. And Abram and Sarai had to pay for these consequences.

Are you waiting on God? So often we talk about waiting for Him to act but fail to mention what happens when we go before Him and act on our own. When we act outside the will of God, we will face consequences. God wants to bless us, but we must be obedient. Do not get ahead of Him and face the negative consequences that will inevitably follow.

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