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In 1996, a grain freighter on the Mississippi River lost control, ran aground, and injured 116 people. Later, the coastguard found that the ship lost control because the crew delayed cleaning the oil filter. A bad decision caused the engine to stop, lose power, overrun a shopping mall, and cause severe damage. Bad decisions lead to bad outcomes. Long ago, God promised Abraham a son and through him to bless the world. As Abraham and Sarah aged and had no son, they decided to help God. Without asking God, Sarah gave her servant Hagar, to be Abraham’s second wife. That started trouble. Hagar became proud; Sarah became jealous. Sarah mistreated Hagar and she ran away. An angel met Hagar and told her to go back to Sarah. She did, but the rift never healed. Later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, but the two boys had conflict. Genesis Chapter 21 tells us that at Isaac’s weaning party, Ishmael mocked him. Sarah saw it and told Abraham to send Hagar and her son away. This broke Abraham’s heart but God approved it because He intended to bless the world through Isaac. All this started when Abraham and Sarah acted without God’s approval. That is why we read in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
