It seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, Sarah knew that God had made a promise to take Abraham’s seed and make it into a great nation. But being a 70+ year old barren woman, Sarah squinted into the future and came up with the “perfect” solution to help God out in His great promise to her husband. “Here Abraham, sleep with my maid servant, Hagar. Produce an heir with her.” Problem solved. Right?
Wrong. Most definitely wrong. Even well intentioned, Sarah was short-circuiting the epic, divine story that God was weaving. A miracle was coming in the form of the faintest of heartbeats in her aged womb. God was going to keep His Word. Fully. Completely. And without any “help” that would dilute the miraculous keeping of a covenantal promise into a watered-down, man-made “miracle.” His Glory would be made evident to her, to Abraham, and to ALL who ever heard that the impossible- a son, Isaac- would be born by Abraham through her very own not-so-barren-after-all womb.
And as I sit awake here at 1:30 a.m., I shake my head at how quickly I find myself in Sarah’s shoes... considering the short-cuts to “assist” in what appears to be God’s plan. The end justifies the means, surely?
But what does that say about my understanding of His character? Is God so incapable without MY help? Are His Mighty Hands not quite so strong? Are the Arms that stretch the expanse of the universe unable to accomplish the workings of the Triune God without a little nudge from my own fingertips? Would He fall short without my going before Him?
I shudder at the arrogance- and the ignorance- of such thought. What is my purpose? Paul lays it out pretty plainly in his second letter to the church of Corinth:
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (4:6,7)
A jar of clay. Plain. Dull. Simple. But formed by the Potter’s Hands, filled to the brim with the light of His very Glory through His Son, Jesus Christ. Why? Why have such a plain ol’ pot hold such indescribable greatness? To reveal MORE of HIM. To bring His Great Name the Glory due it. And so that this lost world in desperate search for the light of Truth will see JESUS CHRIST in us, these little clay vessels who are only worthy simply because He made us worthy through the redemptive work of His Son.
“Operation Hagar,” not tonight. But barely. Oh God, may I see You more and more as YOU ARE...
Strong, Mighty, Moving.
And let me simply...
obey, reflect, follow...
YOU. The only I AM.
May Your all-surpassing power be what’s poured out over my rough, blemished rim. And may YOU receive the Glory in the miracles.
