OCTOBER 19, Genesis 16:4-5

Sarai had given her handmaid, Hagar to her husband to be wife. Hagar’s behavior started to change – she thought she was an important lady, just as good as Sarai. She was proud. When you are asked to be a school prefect or class monitor, do you feel that you become important and start to look down on your school friends? It should not be this way. You should do your duty well to help your teachers and friends.

Hagar’s conduct became worse when she knew that she was going to have a baby–she would not obey Sarai anymore. Hagar was a servant but despised Sarai, as Sarai could not have a baby. How terrible! See that a change of circumstances can change a person! Are you like Hagar: quiet and unassuming when you are not strong in something, but proud when you are gifted in something else? Perhaps you are not good in music but strong in Mathematics. And when others around you talk about Mathematics, you want to show them you are gifted in that subject?

The other lesson for today is that one wrong leads to another. Sarai was wrong in giving her maid to her husband. God gave only one woman, Eve, to Adam. That is the example to follow. So in giving her maid to her husband, Sarai sinned. And that sin led to other sins.

Sin of Hagar (pride), in turn led to other sins. Sarai became angry and treated her badly, eventually making her run away into the wilderness. In those days, it was different from today where if you run away from someone in one part of Singapore, you could always go elsewhere safe. In those days, running away from familiar surroundings could be very dangerous, especially for a lone woman as bandits and wild animals could harm Hagar.

Dear child, one sin leads to another. How do we best stop it? Don’t start it!

Thought: May I keep away from sin, any sin.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that one sin leads to another. I must be careful of my spiritual walk and please help me to be a better Christian. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.