Devotional for the Week 6 Dec 2004

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Devotional For the Week 6th December 2004

Gems from Galatians:
Scripture Reference: Galatians 4

There are parallels between the Genesis story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar with this week’s Galatians 4 passage.

What God Promises
God promised that he would bless Abraham with a son, “You will have a son of your own who will inherit what you have.” (Genesis 15:4). But what really happens is this, what I call the Hagar Solution: Years go on by and Abraham and Sarah were still childless. Instead of waiting for God to make His Promise come true, the elderly couple sought to make things happen through their own methods. So Sarah persuaded Abraham to sleep with Hagar and she bore him Ishmael as a result. This happens when people feel that God’s way is not perfect or complete enough and they need to do something about it. Hagar became pregnant through a fleshly attempt and NOT a Godly effort.

Eventually, God indeed granted Sarah an unexpected pregnancy. When she was old, frail and way past menopause, God blessed her with a son. They named him Isaac, meaning ‘He laughs’. For indeed, God made them laugh at the surprising and unusual timing of His choice to send them a child and bring them joy in their old age. Issac was a child that came about, not by their efforts and methods but God’s.

A comparison with Abraham’s story shows up two groups of people in Galatians:

(1) First, there were Christians who believed that the salvation work of the Cross was not enough to save them and they still needed to follow the law to be saved, which is a fleshly attempt, and NOT a Godly effort. These were likened to being children of Hagar, the slave woman.

(2) And then, there were Christians who believed that faith, not the law, would save them, because Jesus Christ’s work on the cross has done enough. They let God make His Promise come true through His ways. These were likened to being Sarah’s children - free.

God has promised that He would save us through His Son Jesus Christ. Galatians 4:4-5 –“When the right time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and lived under the law. God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law and so we could become his children.” When God says it, He will deliver. When God says Jesus is enough to save, trust Him in that.

What the World Claims
The world through the devil often markets the Hagar Solution. Satan is an idolater and teaches people to place their trust in things, OTHER THAN in God. In Genesis 3:4, the snake tempts Eve into thinking that God does not have their best interests in mind. Satan suggested to Eve that God is withholding some useful fruit from their consumption and that being blessed with immortality in the garden of Eden was not enough. She could do something to help perfect God’s blessing on her, and that was to eat the forbidden fruit. He presented the first version of the Hagar Solution to her. This is what I imagine Satan saying in effect: “God’s work? It isn’t enough, Eve. You gotta add to it to make it perfect”

This world lives under the lie that Jesus is not enough for them. It plagues Christians and non-Christians alike. It tells us that this faith is not enough for you. You need this piece of property, that possession, this insurance, or a person. Obsession with these things can subtly take our focus away from Jesus. Much like the Hagar Solution, some of us may be deluded to think that without this person, or this object – God cannot fulfill His Promises for us. God’s love is then equated with that thing, or person – that career or that loved one; such that when we lose our career or that loved one, we claim we cannot feel God’s love anymore.

Letting God
Galatians 4:28 says, “My brothers and sisters, you are God’s children because of his promise, as Isaac was then.”

Let’s pray: "God, I give thanks to You, each and every day, that there is NO need for me to figure out the solution to living the abundant life, because You’ve already shown the way, through the Cross of Jesus Christ alone. All I need to do is really to follow Christ. I want to be like the children of Sarah – born free. I trust You to bring about what You have promised in the Scriptures. I trust in Your ability to deliver, and NOT in alternative solutions. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

- Ps Joel Yong

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This Week's Devotional \| 2004 Devotionals \| 2005 Devotionals Devotional For the Week 6th December 2004 Gems from Galatians: *Scripture Reference:* Galatians 4 There are parallels between the Genesis story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar with this week’s Galatians 4 passage. What God Promises God promised that he would bless Abraham with a son, “You will have a son of your own who will inherit what you have.” (Genesis 15:4). But what really happens is this, what I call the Hagar Solution: Years go on by and Abraham and Sarah were still childless. Instead of waiting for God to make His Promise come true, the elderly couple sought to make things happen through their own methods. So Sarah persuaded Abraham to sleep with Hagar and she bore him Ishmael as a result. This happens when people feel that God’s way is not perfect or complete enough and they need to do something about it. Hagar became pregnant through a fleshly attempt and NOT a Godly effort. Eventually, God indeed granted Sarah an unexpected pregnancy. When she was old, frail and way past menopause, God blessed her with a son. They named him Isaac, meaning ‘He laughs’. For indeed, God made them laugh at the surprising and unusual timing of His choice to send them a child and bring them joy in their old age. Issac was a child that came about, not by their efforts and methods but God’s. A comparison with Abraham’s story shows up two groups of people in Galatians: (1) First, there were Christians who believed that the salvation work of the Cross was not enough to save them and they still needed to follow the law to be saved, which is a fleshly attempt, and NOT a Godly effort. These were likened to being children of Hagar, the slave woman. (2) And then, there were Christians who believed that faith, not the law, would save them, because Jesus Christ’s work on the cross has done enough. They let God make His Promise come true through His ways. These were likened to being Sarah’s children - free. God has promised that He would save us through His Son Jesus Christ. Galatians 4:4-5 –“When the right time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and lived under the law. God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law and so we could become his children.” When God says it, He will deliver. When God says Jesus is enough to save, trust Him in that. What the World Claims The world through the devil often markets the Hagar Solution. Satan is an idolater and teaches people to place their trust in things, OTHER THAN in God. In Genesis 3:4, the snake tempts Eve into thinking that God does not have their best interests in mind. Satan suggested to Eve that God is withholding some useful fruit from their consumption and that being blessed with immortality in the garden of Eden was not enough. She could do something to help perfect God’s blessing on her, and that was to eat the forbidden fruit. He presented the first version of the Hagar Solution to her. This is what I imagine Satan saying in effect: “God’s work? It isn’t enough, Eve. You gotta add to it to make it perfect” This world lives under the lie that Jesus is not enough for them. It plagues Christians and non-Christians alike. It tells us that this faith is not enough for you. You need this piece of property, that possession, this insurance, or a person. Obsession with these things can subtly take our focus away from Jesus. Much like the Hagar Solution, some of us may be deluded to think that without this person, or this object – God cannot fulfill His Promises for us. God’s love is then equated with that thing, or person – that career or that loved one; such that when we lose our career or that loved one, we claim we cannot feel God’s love anymore. Letting God Galatians 4:28 says, “My brothers and sisters, you are God’s children because of his promise, as Isaac was then.” Let’s pray: "God, I give thanks to You, each and every day, that there is NO need for me to figure out the solution to living the abundant life, because You’ve already shown the way, through the Cross of Jesus Christ alone. All I need to do is really to follow Christ. I want to be like the children of Sarah – born free. I trust You to bring about what You have promised in the Scriptures. I trust in Your ability to deliver, and NOT in alternative solutions. In Jesus’ name, Amen." - Ps Joel Yong**
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