“But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking.”       Genesis 21:9 NIV

Sarah saw the mockery time and again. Apparently, the ridicule reached a peak at the great feast celebrating Isaac’s weaning, and Sarah witnessed the ugly scene. It was all she could take, enough was enough, and she boiled over. She demanded that Abraham send away, cast out, drive out, get rid of the slave woman and her son, Ishmael. Ishmael had sinned through his mockery and jealousy and his failure to trust the will and care of the Lord. Now Sarah was sinning by over-reacting. There is a huge difference between a reaction and a response. A response arises from carefully thinking through the actions one is going to pursue and the implications of those actions. A reaction is the opposite and usually has negative results. Sarah was demanding a cruel solution to the conflict. She took matters into her own hands instead of seeking the Lord for an answer to the conflict. She was overtaken by a spirit of distrust toward the Lord and of cruelty toward Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. Remember, Hagar had been Sarah’s personal servant for decades. But Sarah was apparently so overtaken with anger that she just ignored the Lord and reacted against Ishmael and Hagar. The effect upon Abraham was devastating, for he loved Ishmael, loved him with all his heart. What we learn about conflict and strife – it is very dangerous. Only the right attitude is necessary to handle conflict.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, teach us to learn the difference between reaction and a response.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Holy Spirit, teach us to learn the difference between a reaction and a response. May we think through the actions we desire to take and their implications upon the lives of others and our own. AMEN

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

2 Kings 4:1-7

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