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Short cuts — we all take them. Why do people take short cuts? Whether it involves driving from one place to another, or doing things at work half heartedly so that we can go home on time or even a few minutes early — or how about when we cook, clean the home, make our beds, and in many other small ways throughout the day so we can make life supposedly easier for ourselves. Perhaps some do this so that they can get to the “fun” part of their day more quickly, which may involve entertainment.
Watching people during this past month while travelling has been most eye opening. It is a pleasurable luxury for me to just sit and observe others in restaurants, in shopping malls, or out and about running their errands, as the citizens in the States refer to their lists of “to do items”. Aussies like to call this “stuff to do” or “things to take care of”. It feels good to tick off all the things we want to achieve, especially on the Preparation Day prior to entering the restful Sabbath.
Recently, what was rather sad to see was many of God’s people taking a short cut by leaving the Feast site on the Last Great Day of this holy festival rather than stay for the afternoon messages. I was rather concerned that we may not get the same seats or any seats at all after we returned from our picnic lunch. However, upon our return it was evident to see that about half of the brethren were missing. Fancy even being concerned — but then again I am ever the optimist. It did not occur to me that so many would cut out of the afternoon’s service. Some needed to take their parents home before they then headed home hoping to arrive before dark — keeping safety in the forefront of their minds. Some were tired and fatigued, or had health problems. Whatever happened, I think if an outsider was looking in, they would see such great zeal and gusto at the commencement of the Feast, but by the end, many had been worn out.
Could this be an accurate comparison or analogy of how we are running our race? There is no doubt about it that as we age our physical bodies are deteriorating, some more rapidly than others depending on how we have lived our lives, or have become affected based on our genetic predisposition. This Feast we met some very lovely senior people who needed to use wheelchairs and electric gophers. The hall had sloping floors as it was regularly used as an entertainment venue for shows. The seats were plush and incredibly comfortable but some had issues with vertigo while walking on the uneven floor surface. It was so heartwarming to see people in their 50s and 60s looking after their parents and their specific needs. These people are to be looked up to for not taking shortcuts and for honouring their mother or father.
Short Cuts With Devastating Consequences
Thinking about all the shortcuts people tend to take I then wondered which example from the Bible would speak to me loudly and clearly about why we should not take shortcuts. As I pondered this I could not think of anything that really stood out to me. So I naturally went to God in prayer and asked Him...straight away the answer was of the account of Abraham and Sarah attempting to circumvent their own solution to being childless and without an heir. We can read of this in Genesis 16, 17, and 18.
As a result we have the Son Of Promise, Isaac, who was promised by God as the rightful heir and first born son despite Abraham already having a son with Sarah’s handmaiden Hagar, named Ishmael. This seemed like a good idea at the time to both Abraham and Sarah, but all it did was create an environment of competition or rivalry, jealousy, anger, hatred, and eventual expulsion of the handmaiden and her son from their home. God heard and was merciful to Abraham despite his attempt at pleasing Sarah his wife by going in to Hagar for a child. In Genesis 17:20 God tells Abraham He will bless Ishmael exceedingly, however he would not establish an everlasting covenant with him.
So we realise that people, all through the ages, tend to think of how they can best solve their own problems using faulty human logic (Jeremiah 17:9) instead of taking them to God, or waiting patiently for God to intervene rather than taking matters into their own hands by implementing shortcuts they think might be the best solution to their suffering, pain, hardship or needs. I think we all are guilty of this at times — I know I have been. What sort of shortcuts have you been involved in and what were the results of these? Some are bound to be worse than others depending on the nature of the shortcut. Do you remember how God saved you from yourself? If only we would get out of the way, as it were, so that God can work directly with us all of the time. It reminds me of the saying “We are our own worst enemy at times”. All we need to do is remember that our God is the God of creating the possible from the impossible — He is that great (Matthew 19:26, Genesis 18:14, Job 42:2, Jeremiah 32:27, Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37 and Luke 18:27).
Getting back to the account of Abraham and Sarah’s remarkable blessing, of having a child in their old age — well into their 90s — Hebrews 11:12 gives such joy to me when reading this as it is a sample of God’s humour. The scripture says “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude — innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore”. Abraham was as “good as dead” meaning he was about 100 years old...now that seems preposterous to father a child at that age!
Very reassuringly, God restores us despite all the stuff-ups we may have in our daily lives, all the mistakes we make, all the things we regret or would rather be able to redo to get them right with better decisions made. How wonderful it is, that our loving Heavenly Father oversees all, knows all, and extends His mercy and forgiveness to us through examining the intention of our hearts, and He knows whether we are trying to do well. The reminder though is for us to always seek our Father out first BEFORE we start making these decisions that we think we have the best solutions to. Let this be a timely reminder for God’s people to all live and learn from the devastating consequences of that shortcut decision made by Abraham and Sarah all those thousands of years ago.