“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips”. Job 2:9:10.

Now Abraham was in great spiritual danger at that time because he was being governed by human affection for Ishmael. So God appeared to him and told him to hearken to his wife for whatever she said was very important. Many parents, wives, husbands, and children disobey God because of love for someone else. This human affection must be brought under subjection to God’s affection. Though this subjection is very painful it is very safe. Abraham had to send his son away from him and God would not have appeared to him if he had not obeyed him.

Though it was very grievous to Abraham, yet he obeyed God. It is very painful at times to obey God’s word and God’s command, but Abraham was open to God’s rebuke. The purpose of which God appeared to Abraham in chapter 21 was to shoe us how to be governed by the Spirit at all times and never by the flesh. It you want to be God’s friend never allow anyone to come in the way of obeying God, not father, mother, brother, sister, children, friend or wife. In a subtle way the enemy will bring before you these objects of affection, and sometimes cause a wife or child to start weeping to hinder you from doing God’s will.