03-31-25 part 2: When God Waits and We Rush: Learning to Trust His Timing

 

1. Helping God or Hurting His Plan?
In a powerful lesson from Genesis 16, Dr. David Spoon unpacks the story of Sarai, Abram, and Hagar—highlighting how human impatience often collides with divine timing. Sarai, unable to conceive, encourages Abram to sleep with her servant, Hagar, hoping to “help” God fulfill His promise. Abram agrees, Hagar conceives, and the short-term result looks successful. But as Spoon points out, success without God's direction is an illusion. Just because something seems to work doesn’t mean it’s God’s will. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain,” he reminds, quoting Psalm 127:1.

2. When We Get Ahead of God
Using vivid imagery—like Jonah heading to San Diego instead of San Francisco—Spoon teaches that when we step ahead of God, we step into danger. Abram and Sarai’s impatience led to strife, jealousy, and broken relationships. Spoon calls out the Christian tendency to “help God along,” urging listeners to trust God’s pace, even when it feels slow. He warns that things might seem to run smoothly at first when we go our own way, but the fallout always comes. Instead of rushing, we must walk in step with the Lord, knowing He sees the full picture even when we don’t.

3. Responsibility and Blame
When the consequences hit—Hagar treating Sarai with contempt and Sarai lashing out—it all spirals. Sarai blames Abram, and surprisingly, Spoon agrees that Abram does bear responsibility. Not because it was his idea, but because as the spiritual head of the household, he failed to stand firm. In trying to keep peace, Abram passively agreed to something he should have questioned. Spoon calls this the danger of “blessing foolishness”—something Christians do too often in the name of harmony. He urges believers to seek God’s wisdom before endorsing any plan, even if it appears good on the surface.

4. God’s Redemptive Thread in Our Mess
Despite the dysfunction, Spoon powerfully underscores that God still shows up. Hagar will soon have a life-changing encounter with God. Later, Solomon will emerge from the tragic union of David and Bathsheba. The pattern is clear: even when we mess up, God redeems. Spoon encourages listeners to remember that nothing catches God off guard—not even our dumbest decisions. The key is to stay humble, seek God’s guidance, and walk in fellowship with Him daily. “You don’t need neon signs,” he says, “you need a heart that wants to get it right.”