Famine – Fear – Flee – Back to Start!
Bible Reading: Genesis 12:10-20; 13:1-4
FAMINE: As we read in Genesis 12:10, there was a severe famine that caused Abram to move his family into Egypt. Nowhere do we see that Abram consulted God prior to the move. This is a powerful insight into the humanity of Abram.
Yes, Abram will forever keep the title of, "The Father of Faith". Yet, at the same time he was just a man like us. Knowing earthly frailty and susceptible to temptation.
DAILY TRIALS CAUSE US TO STEP INTO OR AWAY FROM GOD’S PLAN
FEAR: Upon arrival in Egypt, we read in verses 11-13 that because Abram's wife Sarai was so amazingly beautiful that the fear of losing her to the Egyptian men grips Abram's heart so tight that he loses touch with his faith and allows fear to dictate his steps.
A fear-gripped heart will produce inferior decisions. In Abram's case, he decided that to lie about his marriage and relationship to Sarai was a much safer position than to tell the truth. The facts were, Abram was called by almighty God, he was granted land directly by God, built altars, had a wonderful marriage ordained by God, and and was walking so well by faith...
So what happened to Abram? He chose his fear over his faith. Walking in fear causes us to throw out our faith, ignore the facts and forget the altars we had built to glorify God who blessed us so.
WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT ELSE WE LOSE VISION AND WALK IN FEAR
FLEE: Abram's family was still blessed because of his believing wife as we see in verses 14-16. As husbands and leaders, we can make wrong decisions yet the Lord's blessing is with us because of our believing spouse and vise-versa. 1Corinthians 7:14 says, "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy."
The union of marriage between a man and a women ordained by God is blessed. We walk together as a team. Marriage is a three legged race with the Lord as the middle leg guiding us together as one in the Lord. When the one is weak the other is strong and when both are weak the Lord is strong. What a powerful, hopeful and purposeful way to live.
God was not about to leave His man of Faith to live under the condemnation of lies and fear. This is why we read in verses 17-20 that the Pharaoh and his house were plagued by God causing Abram to get back on track with God's original plans for him.
GOD IS MERCIFUL AND ADJUSTS CIRCUMSTANCE SO WE CAN SEE HIS WILL
BACK TO START: In Genesis 13:1-4 we see that through severe circumstance, God in His endless mercy, brought Abram back to the beginning, back to the last place where God spoke to him, and to the place where the altar was built. God used the severe famine to deepen Abram's faith and to bless his whole household in the process with livestock, silver and gold.
GOD TAKES US BACK TO START TILL WE LEARN TO WALK BY FAITH
May our faith deepen by God's grace as the impending trials and tribulations are sure to overtake us. It is my prayer that we will not look to the storm that surrounds us but to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Blessings and grace be upon you!
Pastor Buck
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