Genesis 16:1-4 KJV

Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. [2] 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. [3] 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. [4] And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

We know that God has promised to give Abraham seed because of the promise he made to him in Genesis 13:15, stating that he would give the land to his seed, descendants.

The mistake found in our text is that Abraham and Sarah did their own plan instead of waiting on God.

If God had promised them seed, and he did, they should have waited on his timing, not theirs.

One thing I have found in the ministry is that so many people often make the same mistakes as Abraham and Sarah. They rush into a job, or they don't wait on the right one to marry, or what school they should attend, and they end up making mistakes and even making messes, but God can turn our messes into messages.

Our mistakes can be forgiven (1 John 1:9), but that doesn't take away the consequences.

I hear often of preachers falling into temptation or something happens, and they say I've been forgiven, but there are still consequences they just don't like to look at that.

Friend, wait on God and let him do the blessing. A blessing is a gift, not something you work for or earned. Abraham and Sarah had to learn that they needed to wait on God.

As you read the rest of the chapter, you find the mess that the mistake caused. 

All because Abraham listened to Sarah and caused Hagar to conceive, it brought a mess to the whole family.

May I remind you there are families in a mess today because someone didn't follow the Lord. Someone's job has interfered with church, and it has caused that family to be in a mess out of church.

There are those who have put their family above God, and it has caused mess.

Here's the good news. God can take your mess and make a message out of it.

I'm thankful God can take my mess and make a message.

There's always a message in our messes.

She was met by the angel of the Lord, and the angel gave her the news that she would give birth to a child called Ishmeal.

The message today is that God sees your mistakes and the messes you have caused, but he also is the one that can cleanse and heal the brokenness if you would call on him.

Do you have messes that need to be turned into messages? Give them to God and let him make the message.

Our mistakes can be turned into messages!

Thank you for reading today's fire-starter devotional. Please share this with someone. Also please send your prayer request to Justin@rtfministries.net by tomorrow evening.

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