Sermon # 46 - Are You Running Away? Series

If one were to describe this period of time, in which we are living, we can depict it as a time when people are constantly running away. We hear of families who are in distress, because the husband or wife chose to walk away from home leaving their spouse and children in a state of abandonment. Children are running away from home, in rebellion to their parents and authority. For anyone who is in such a state of confusion and turmoil, the Lord promises that He is able to bring peace and calm to those complex situations.

The Bible has examples of those who ran away, and most of the time the ones who ran, fled from relationships. This is Satan’s cunning scheme to bring rift in all relationships, be it husband and wife, parents and children, employer and employee. When this division happens and people are unable to handle the complexities of relationships, they chose to run away from them. It is a cowardly decision when one decides to sever relationships, to depart from them, instead of setting things right.

Many husbands and wives when faced with even the slightest conflict chose the path of divorce as an easy way out. Our marriages were established in the presence of God, where the husband and wife promised each other that nothing, but death would separate them, and yet so many land up in court before mortal men to nullify the covenant they made before God. God is one who desires to strengthen relationships, and is not one who will on any account break relationships. God is a God of peace and reconciliation, and that is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God”. (KJV)

The reason Hagar fled from her mistress

We read in Genesis 16:8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's slave, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She answered, "I'm running away from my owner Sarai." (GW)

Hagar was a slave of Sarai, and the above mentioned verse is part of the narrative of the time when Hagar ran away from her mistress Sarai and her home.

We read in Genesis 16:1, Sarai, Abram's wife, was not able to have children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. (GW)

Abram’s wife Sarai was unable to conceive and have a child and this was a huge problem that challenged Abram and Sarai. The verse mentions about Hagar the Egyptian slave because she was the solution that Sarai chose to use to solve her problem of being childless.

It is a fact that in every relationship we are bound to have problems because we are human beings with emotions, and not machines. Often when husbands and wives have issues among themselves, they seek counsel from their friends, who mislead them to think of other options. We must be cautious to not even mention divorce as an option for the conflict we face in our marriage, for the enemy is out to destroy our families.

There are many couples who want to separate for the only reason that they are unable to have children. A great example in the Bible is Zachariah and Elizabeth, who were aged, childless and yet kept persevering in their faith with prayer, believing that the Lord could give them a child. They kept on doing what God had called them to do, and at the appropriate time God blessed them with their son, John the Baptist. Like them when challenged with impossible situations, we too must persevere in prayer believing that the Lord can intervene to make all things possible.

Whenever we encounter some problems, we will frequently find a quick fix or short cut solution that also comes along with it, though it may not be the right solution. For instance, when there is conflict between husband and wife, a husband seeks solution in alcohol or either of them go searching for an extra marital relationship, as an escape to their problems. Marriage is sacred in God’s sight and may we never try to break the covenant that was established in the presence of God. The reason for marriage being sacred is that God Himself instituted marriage. There will be challenges and hardships in our marriage, but we will decide never to take a short cut to find solutions that God doesn’t approve of, but instead be very grateful to the Lord for our spouse and family.The one who gave you the spouse is God Himself, and it is only when we constantly remind ourselves of this fact, will our relationship become more beautiful.

Sarai chose a short cut

We read in Genesis 16:2, So Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal. (NLT)