Wednesday of the 13th week in ordinary time

Gen. 21: 5.8-20    Mathew 8: 28-34

Theme: Faithful God

In the 1^st reading of today from the Book of Genesis, we see how the human factor can sometimes affect our human relationships and the decisions we make about the happenings in our lives. When Abraham and his wife Sarah were blessed with Isaac in their old age, the issue of who becomes Abraham’s heir became an issue. She wanted her son to become the heir to Abraham and not the son of the slave woman. The desire of Sarah is that Hagar and her son should be sent away, and Abraham felt bad with her request, though it was granted. Interestingly God told Abraham to do what Sarah is requesting for but promised to bless both Isaac and the son of Hagar. This was exactly what happened at the end.

Dear friends in Christ, can you relate with the scenario that plays out in the 1^st reading of today? The human quest for acquisition of material things. One would have expected that the issue of who becomes the heir of Abraham should not come into play at this point. Taking into consideration the wonderful miracle that God performed in the life of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac their son came when all hope was lost. The God who performed this miracle in their old age will guide them on how to go about the two sons of Abraham at the appropriate time, but Sarah was jealous and impatient. This is a practice that is easily noticeable in our world today, people are becoming more self-centred and are not worried about how their actions and decisions hurt others.

Dearly beloved in Christ, when the hand of God is upon us, we must learn to trust in his process and be patient with him. Never allow your desperation to make you take decisions that you will later regret. Always remember that the God who has started the good work in your life will bring it to completion. Don’t be hasty to manipulate it like Sarah did to suit your heart’s desires, you may not be as lucky as she was in this given situation. God will always perfect whatever he has started, he is always faithful to his promises and will never disappoint or fail those who trust in him. The good news is that at the end of it all, it ended to the greater glory of God and for the good of Hagar and her son. God fulfilled his promises in their lives, and he was blessed. Just trust and believe in God, he is too faithful to disappoint you. May almighty God bless you in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.