Todays Devotion (Genesis 19-21) Faithful obedience to Gods Word will develop your spiritual stability and usefulness. Please Like and SHARE on Facebook to spread the good word! And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? And Abraham said, Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife (Gen. 20:10-12). Led by faith alone, Abram (Abraham) left his homeland and journeyed to the new land of promise. He left a life of comfort and security to follow the Lords direction. Chosen by God to be the father of many nations (17:4), Abraham was counted as righteous by the Lord (15:6). So much good is known about Abraham, that we are surprised when we read that there have been times when he has appeared to be guided more by human fear than by faith in God. When faced with famine in the land where God had led him, he forsook his new home and went to the well-watered land of Egypt (12:10). Once there, in fear of his life, he attempted to deceive the Egyptians by telling them that Sarai was his sister, rather than his wife (20:12). Later, this event was repeated when Abraham went to live with the Philistines in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah (20:2). It is impossible for us to know Abraham’s mindset when he made these decisions, but we should be grateful that God saw fit to include them in His Holy Word. As we read of Abrahams transgressions, it is easy to see how even the most righteous person can be influenced by selfish motives – even when they believe that they are living in God’s will. Throughout Scripture, God tenderly and patiently leads us from sin and self-seeking behavior and shows us that true happiness is the result of integrity in all circumstances. Abrahams actions were wrong; yet when they came to light, He immediately repented and returned to the way of God. His willingness to accept responsibility for his behavior showed that he understood the severity of his sin against the will of God. All in all, Abraham lived a remarkably godly life. He was not provided with the strength of the written Scripture or the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. God, in mercy, by faith alone, strengthened Abraham, naming him as one of the great heroes of the faith (Heb. 11). For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him (Gen. 18:19). Excerpts from SBC / BiblePathway / Delaney Baptist Church
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:13:27 +0000
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