Hello Cris!

I was thinking about how women of God influence the lives of men of God, and I was meditating on Sarah. I read a verse that caught my attention…

Then God said, “No, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call his name Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” Genesis 17:19-21

What was important wasn’t merely Abraham’s seed, because he had already had a son with a servant. This servant did her job since she was a “servant,” but she focused on what she did, not in who she was.

Sadly, this is the way it is with many in the Work of God, people who focus on doing things, but who don’t belong to God. They obey men, like Hagar did from the beginning, but they don’t listen to the Voice of God.

Sarah left Haran, not out of obligation, but because she trusted in the voice of God that had spoken to her husband. They produced Isaac, with whom God said that He would make a covenant, but when it came to Ishmael, he was only blessed for Abraham’s sake.

How many “Ishmaels” have been born of Hagars among us? Pastors, wives and assistants who were “blessed” and did many things because they used the Name of Jesus and the Word, but who didn’t have a covenant with God! And even worse, they ended up as enemies of those who did make a covenant, creating discord and problems for the people of God, just like the children of Ishmael do until this very day!

But on the other hand, when we see someone being created (spiritually) by a Sarah, we know that a person like Isaac is being born, who’s made a covenant with the Lord. These people endure, they have fear for the things of the Lord, they walk in God’s presence and are perfect!

If people are like Sarah, they will have children who make covenants with God. But if they are like Hagar, mere “servants” who work without a relationship with God, they will only produce “Ishmaels” in the Work of God.

So, the more “Sarahs” we have among us, the more people who have made a covenant with Him will be in the Work of God!

Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Throw out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son, Isaac.” Genesis 21:9,10

Here we see why Sarah did not want Ishmael close to Isaac, though it seems that she had no pity or compassion for the boy. He was only 14 years old and Isaac was 7! But Ishmael mocked them…

Today we see many children of Hagar mocking the children of Sarah, those who want to do what is right, who always want to obey directions to do all they can to please God, inching their way towards perfection, living a castrated life, the famous “meat and potatoes” life of church-to-home-to-church. We’re always mocked for this! Maybe Isaac had done something that had pleased God, causing Ishmael to mock him.

Later we see that when Abraham disagreed with Sarah and went to consult God, God agreed with Sarah about sending Hagar and Ishmael away.

At times, many disagree with us on certain things — mainly about doing what is right — but God agrees! Whenever anyone wants to please God, like Sarah, an Ishmael always appears, someone living in the same tent attempting to influence Isaac to displease God.

This happens with many who leave us. God even permits them to leave so that they do not corrupt His children, those who are born of God and who produce children who are born of Him.

Collaboration: Ana Paula Leite Pinheiro