Genesis 12

Scripture:  Genesis chapter 12

Observation:  The chapter begins with Abram hearing instructions from the Lord to leave his homeland and travel to an unknown place which the Lord is giving to him.  Abram leaves with his wife and nephew Lot in obedience to God.  God leads them to Canaan where Abram builds an altar.  However, there is a famine, and Abram leaves with his wife Sarai to Egypt.  Here he fears for his life, because Sarai is so beautiful he's sure he'll be killed for her.  So Abram instructs Sarai to tell everyone she is his sister to protect himself.  When they arrive in Egypt, Pharaoh hears about the beautiful Sarai and takes her for his wife.  Pharaoh is kind to Abram, but God is not kind to Pharaoh - He afflicts the whole household with plagues.  Pharaoh realizes the reason for this is Sarai, and he gives her back to Abram and sends him off.

Application:  Do godly, righteous men make bad judgments?  They sure do!  Abram was wise enough to obey God when he was led to an unknown location, because he had faith that God would give him all He'd promised.  Yet when it came to trusting the Lord with his life in Egypt, Abram took matters into his own hands and lied about his wife, putting her and all of Pharaoh's household in danger.  What was Abram thinking?!  He wasn't.  Abram had faith, but he had much to learn about trusting God with his whole life.  I find myself being no different.  I know God is faithful, yet many times I've made decisions on my own, without consulting God first.  Like Abram, I have much to learn.

Prayer:  Abram was a great man of faith Lord, but he didn't always have that great faith.  He had to go through many experiences before his faith was strong enough to make it to the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:8-19).  My prayer Lord, is that I will learn from the examples and experiences of others as well as my own experiences, to trust You completely and not fear, to obey You in all things, and to guide myself by Your Words and not my own thoughts and desires.  In Jesus' name, Amen.