S) "10 Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman;'"
Genesis 12:10-11 (NASB)
O) This begins a cycle of some fatal lies. Abram lies about Sarai being his wife and his fears are actually founded. Pharaoh invites Sarai into the palace and his household is struck with a plague. Abram lies in the same way, to Abimelech in Genesis 20, with similar results, and Isaac falls to the same fear and lie about his wife. In the beginning, and what really stood out to me in the verses above, is that it was Abram's decision to sojourn in Egypt in the first place. He voluntarily put himself in a dangerous position, and responded to his fear with lies.
A) Sometimes, danger and uncertainty are required of God's children (dangerous or uncertain from our perspective, not His). Sometimes, I might put myself in positions that are less than ideal, too. I can take those risks, if I am prepared to handle the pressures, fears, or trials in godly ways. Over all, though, it would be better to not put myself in those positions at all. The best discipline is direct obedience, so I should really be focusing on seeking His will first and only. If Abram had sought the will of the LORD, he may not have been in Egypt at all. Even if he had been, he would have had himself in a position to obey from the start, making it easier to follow the Lord's lead, when fear about his wife gripped him. If I am making a habit of seeking God from the start, then it will be easier to seek Him in those uncertain or dangerous situations.
P) Father, Your sovereign will is completely trustworthy. You put me in a position to succeed, thrive, and love. I want to seek Your will when I am faced with difficulties. I don't want to answer a bad situation with a terrible decision. Open my eyes to see the unavoidable dangers ahead, like the famine that Abram and Sarai felt, so that I can seek Your holy instruction about what I am to do. I don't want to just avert crisis, but I want to be effectively used by You, even in hard times. Forgive me, Lord, for the times I think I have it all in control. Thank You for te grace, for the times when I leap out of the frying pan and into the fire. Let Your will be done, not just in my life, but on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment