FEB 16
Genesis 12:7-20
Memorise Hebrews 11:6
“What is this that thou hast done unto me?”

We often remember Abraham as the father of faith, as the great man of God who trusted in God through numerous adverse circumstances, even going so far as to be willing to sacrifice his own son to prove his love for God. Yet we also learn that Abraham did not always demonstrate such strong faith. He was not always one who would obey God’s commands without question or doubt. In fact, there were instances in his life when he feared and thus sinned, because he did not have the faith to believe in God’s promises.

One such instance is in today’s passage, where we see Abram journeying south into Egypt. God’s call to Abram was just for them to go into the land of Canaan, for in Genesis 12:7 God appeared to him and affirmed that this was the land that would be given to his seed. However, because of a famine in the land, Abram chose instead to venture further south into Egypt. That was Abram’s first mistake. He should have trusted in the Lord and stayed in the land that God had promised to bless him in. Instead he was worried by the famine, and thought to find greener pastures to the south.

As Abram and his wife came into Egypt, there was another fear that came upon him. He was afraid that the Egyptians would covet his beautiful wife, and kill him for her, and so he instructed his wife to lie, to say that she is his sister instead. Again he forgot God’s promise that He would make of him a great nation, and bless him. All he saw was the immediate problem ahead of him, and thus came up with a solution that involved them having to sin and tells lies.

All these mistakes were the result of a lack of faith on Abram’s part. He should have trusted in God’s promises, and obeyed His word. Instead he trusted in his own wisdom, and sought to fix his problems with his own poorly thought out plans. As a result of that, his testimony was marred in the eyes of Pharaoh and his house, for they would remember him to be the liar that brought plagues to their people. God had to intervene, and pull Abram out of this fix. If Abram had trusted in the Lord, none of these would have happened! Dear teen, are you able to trust in God no matter what happens in your life?

Thought: Can my solution ever be better than God’s plans?

Prayer: Lord, may You grant me the faith to always trust in You.