Unfair Situations

Unfair Situations

Sarai

Read: Genesis 12:10-20

As Sonia finished labeling the last packing box, she sat back on her heels and looked around. There were so many memories in this family room. It seemed unreal that tomorrow she and Stan would leave the house where their children had grown up, the home where she had expected to grow old. If only she hadn’t agreed to Stan’s harebrained investment scheme. She had had doubts about it from the beginning, but Stan had seemed so sure that it would pay off. Now Sonia fought back tears. This is just so unfair, she fumed.

Sarai must have thought that her situation was unfair when she ended up in a harem. Abram had passed Sarai off as his sister rather than his wife out of fear that an Egyptian would kill him to take her. Sarai had consented to his scheme; after all, it was only a half lie and she did want to protect her husband. Now, it must have seemed like an unreasonable request. The pharaoh planned to take her as his wife, and there seemed to be no way out. How overjoyed Sarai must have been when God intervened to free her from the ruler’s harem.

We have all known the feeling of being in an unfair situation. It may develop because of our own choices or foolish behavior, or we may find ourselves trapped through the choices of other people. Regardless of the cause, we can look to God for deliverance. He delights in justice and often intervenes in our problems in unexpected ways. At other times, he doesn’t change the circumstances but gives us the strength to endure them. He promises to right all wrongs someday. No matter how unfair our situation seems, we can be sure that we will be vindicated, sooner or later.

The LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

Psalm 135:14 (NIV)