Genesis 16:2
There’s a statement that Sarai makes in Genesis 16 that really made me think. After years of waiting, years of hoping, years of disappointment, Sarai reaches a conclusion… “The Lord has prevented me from bearing children” (Genesis 16:2).
God neither confirms nor denies the validity of her statement. Was God the cause of Sarai’s barrenness? We’re not sure. That’s a question the story leaves hanging without any resolution. But here’s what really struck me about Sarai’s comment: she talks about God, but she never talks to God.
I have the sense that her statement is more than just an observation; she is interpreting her pain. Somewhere along the way, disappointment hardened into an assumption that God was on the other end of her heartache. God had made a promise, but time had worn her down. The silence felt louder than the promise, and instead of bringing her ache to God, she began managing life around God.
It hit me that this not-so-subtle shift of talking about God, but not to Him, can shape our lives as well. We theologize about our pain instead of praying through it. We draw conclusions about God’s character based on our circumstances. We say things like, “God must not care,” or “Maybe this is just how my life will always be,” or “I guess God closed that door.” And maybe we never say those words out loud, but we live from them. Think about this… our prayerlessness is often driven more by disappointment with God than it is by busyness.
See, it’s possible to believe in God while quietly withdrawing from Him. It’s possible to discuss God, study God, even serve God, while our hearts remain guarded and distant. Pain can do that; it’s quite powerful. Unanswered prayers can slowly turn conversation with God into conversation about God.
The invitation of Scripture is always relational before it is practical. God would rather hear the honest ache of Sarai’s heart than watch her carry it alone. The Psalms show us this over and over again. Biblical faith is not pretending everything is fine. It’s bringing the real thing into God’s presence. Confusion. Anger. Grief. Longing. Questions. All of it. The tragedy in Genesis 16 is not simply that Sarai came up with a bad plan. It’s that she stopped bringing her pain to the One who made the promise.
And maybe that’s the invitation for us today. Before you figure it out, fix it, numb it, or control it… Talk to God. Not just about Him; to Him. Because faith grows in conversation with God, not in conclusions about Him.
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor