9-10 One day Sarah saw the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, poking fun at her son Isaac. She told Abraham, "Get rid of this slave woman and her son. No child of this slave is going to share inheritance with my son Isaac!" (The Message)
The Bible tells us story after story of the trouble that siblings can get into with one another. Sometimes it turns out for good (like Joseph) and sometimes not so good (like Cain and Abel) but you can guarantee that there will always be something that happens in the midst of it all. In this case it is the jealousy that is triggered in Sarah because of Ishmael and Isaac's actions that cause the trouble. In the midst of it all Abraham is distraught by what is to come and God reassures him that it will be ok.
In the midst of our family interactions there might be times we find ourselves at odds with one another. Sometimes it if for good reasons and many times it is for reasons that eventually will just seem down right silly. But in the midst of conflict any reason seems serious. So we find ourselves like Sarah and Abraham having to make choices. Choices about how we will treat others and what we will do or not do and knowing that both action and inaction could have a huge impact upon the course lives will take. The decisions are not always easy but when we seek out God's guidance in the midst of things we can at least hope that his hand will be int the midst of the future for everyone involved.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- Who do you identify more with in this story Sarah or Hagar? Why?
- What conflicts has your family had in the past that has changed the direction of peoples lives?
- What conflict in your families past can you pray for God's healing to come into the midst of?
- Where might God be in the midst of a difficult family relationship today for you? Where might you pray that God becomes know in your family interactions?
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