S) "6 Then God said to him in the dream, 'Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.'"
Genesis 20:6 (NASB)
O) Here Abraham has done it again, telling a king that Sarah is his sister. King Abimelech believes the lies, and takes Sarah to be his wife also. Then, God warns him in a dream that he is a dead man because of the marital infidelity. He pleads his case, and God listens and reveals His omniscience. This is how the grace of God works. He finds us in our mess, seeing our hopeless, helpless situations, and He offers an alternative. He offers escape. In fact, He offers to bless us beyond just the salvation we so desperately need (see vv.7, 17). All of this, for a king who likely did not even fear the LORD (see v.11). But that is the nature of grace, and of the God we serve. He comes to us, often when we don't even know we need Him, when we are unaware of the dangers that surround us.
A) In a lot of ways, I think this is how God convicts and warns His people, now. At least, this is how I often experience it. When I find myself in the whirlpool of temptation, at a crossroads of conviction and willful disobedience, I can hear the call of my God. He meets me, when I am at the brink, at the precipice of my self destructive errors, and He reminds me of my choice. There are times I fail, and times I overcome. In failure, He calls me back to the cross. In victory, He restores my strength. He is good to me throughout it all, before or after sin, He does not change. He offers escape, salvation, and even more blessings. All because He loves me, and wants to save me from the dangers I bring upon myself.
P) Father God, the grace and mercy You offer is incomparable. I stand amazed, to remember all of the times You have reached out to me when I am on the edge of sinning. Temptation is real, but so is Your grace. I kneel humbled by Your mercy, knowing full well all of the times I have closed my own ears to Your voice, ignoring Your glory for the sake of my own. Yet through it all, You do not change. Over and over, You offer this grace and mercy to me. On this side of temptation, I know that grace is greater than mercy. Remind me of that truth. When I face temptation, let Your voice be irresistible, and the knowledge of Your truth be inescapable. Remind me that Your glory is at stake, and that I'd rather have the grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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