Abraham was promised a son. Then he had to wait. Waited for a son to be born to him—the son of promise. Every man looks for a shortcut. And Abraham was a man just like you and me. He was impatient, fearful, listened to bad advice ... wanted a shortcut.
Acting on human wisdom, his own impatience, and the fear that he was running out of time, he had a son. Out of synch with God, in the wrong season, and 14 years premature. Sarah offered her maid, Hagar, and Ishmael was born. But, fourteen years later, Sarah birthed Isaac, the child of promise. The cost of Abraham's impatient and fear-filled decision has trickled down to the present day.
Men often calculate money and time, but don't count the cost of fear.
The world-renowned financial analyst Alan Greenspan who served as the chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987-2006, set up systems that entire economies depended on. After the 2008 recession, something he called "the most extraordinary economic event in all of our lifetimes," Greenspan asked himself...what went wrong?
Greenspan studied data and charts for two years. He recorded his errors and solutions in the book, The Map and the Territory: Risk, Human Nature, and the Future of Forecasting.
In a 2013 interview, he admitted, "We misunderstood how systematic fear is." He had believed that irrational behavior could not be projected and analyzed. Now he said, "I was wrong. In fact, you can measure it." He added, "Euphoria drives up the business cycle, and fear collapses it."
Underrating fear is a mistake we often make. We fear God's promises won't come true. We try to rush God. We listen to bad counsel. We get impatient. We think God is slow.
Just like Abraham.
When we pray and recognize that God is our source, when we act on His Word, we can live without fear.
We can rest in God's peace and speak the words that contain the power of His promise. "Seek the Lord, search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life" (Zephaniah 2:3).
This is our testimony: "I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me" (Micah 7:7). The Word defeats fear. Faith in Jesus is a light that dispels the darkness.
Stop and think about what you're planning to do next week. Next month. Before the end of the year. Put the light of His Word on it, invest time in prayer, get with godly men, pray with your wife, and listen to His voice.
Think about who you’re listening to. Is it wise counsel, Godly wisdom, or just mere human advice? Is it based on God's Word or yesterday's headlines?
We are men of God. He listens to us. And He loves us passionately, like the good
Father that He is.
