12_Add to your faith perseverance Gen 16:1-3 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. Heb 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. The Bible’s honesty about the lives of its characters, with their triumphs and failures, is unmatched. It does not sugarcoat failure, rather laying bare the struggles, mistakes, and lessons of those who came before us. This authenticity is paired with God’s high standards for life and godliness. Thus, the scriptures reflect the very character of God, whose foundation is truth. Truth is not just a moral ideal but the essence of God Himself and the bedrock of love. In Genesis 16:1–5, we witness faith, perseverance, and the dangers of taking matters into our own hands. Abram and Sarai were given an extraordinary promise: their offspring would become a great nation. Abram received this promise at the age of 75, a testament to its miraculous nature. Ten years passed with no sign of a child. The delay tested their faith, and they faltered. Sarai suggested that Abraham go in to Hagar, her maidservant, thus giving Sarai a surrogate child through her. This was culturally acceptable in those times, and seemed a practical thing to do in view of her advanced age. Yet, failure to seek God’s perspective resulted in a bad decision that led to tension, jealousy, and lasting consequences. The truth is that God does not need our help to fulfill His promises. His plans are perfect, and His timing is impeccable. The promises of God are not limited by human capacity or lifespan. They are established in eternity, and their fulfillment is certain, though often beyond our understanding. We must resist the urge to interpret or twist God’s words to fit our limited perspective. Abram and Sarai’s choice reflected a momentary lapse in faith. Yet it was God’s ultimate plan that prevailed. The child of promise was to come through Sarai. In so doing, God affirmed the sanctity of monogamous marriage. Just as importantly, he emphasized the importance of faith in his ability to do exactly what he had promised. We often experience perplexing and painful delays. However, they are never arbitrary. Joseph went from being a favored son to a slave and prisoner through what seemed like a series of misfortunes. Yet each step was divinely planned for his preparation as one who would be in the right place and well equipped to save life. As a slave in the household of Potiphar, captain of the king’s guard, Joseph learned stewardship and leadership while being part of the