Scripture
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. Genesis 12:10
Observation
After hearing God’s voice, Abram left his home, family and all that he knew to follow God. Up until this moment in his life, Abram has been a model of what a believer should be. He had passed every test with flying colors.
He finally arrived in the land of Canaan to the very place God had promised him and what does he find? Not a land flowing with milk and honey, but a land in a severe famine. Can you imagine what Abram thought as he realized that the land that the Lord promised to him would not be able to feed him and his family?
Faced with the uncertainty of the future, Abram decides to take matters into his own hands. He leaves the promised land and goes to Egypt.
Application
How many times have I stepped out in faith and when I got to where God was leading I begin to question God’s will. Where did I ever get the notion that being in the center of God’s will means that I will not face challenging circumstances?
Everything in the Christian life is about faith. It starts with faith, continues in faith and will end with faith. Yesterday’s faith will never be enough to get through me today.
Prayer
Lord, I am often prone when facing difficulties to go from faith to fear. It is then when I usually take back control of my life…which always leads to more trouble. Lord, grow my faith and trust in You so when trouble comes, I run to you rather than away from You.
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2 comments:
Pastor Bill, Reading the blog helps give me insights from others. At first, while reading today's lesson, I wasn't sure what God wanted me to learn. But as I wondered, it came to me, and it is all about faith, and accepting God's call to action.
Over the past few days readings, I did wonder what a few verses meant. Can you explain Gen. 4:23 (I have killed a man to my wounding and a young man to my hurt?), Gen. 12:5 (what souls had they gotten?) and Luke 4:23 (Physician heal thyself…?). Thank you.
PS. I also think the daily verses are well chosen and even seem related even though they are simultaneously in Old and New Testament.
Elena,
Gen 4:23 there are a couple of thoughts.
1. Cain had slain an unoffending man and yet was protected by God; how much more Lamech, who had slain in self-defence.
2. Lamech has murdered someone and he is boasting he can promise a greater retribution than God.
The latter seems to be a better representation of what has happened. Lamech is a descendant of Cain and is about to be wipe out by the flood. Also, he is the first to be mentioned as having more than one wife, a violation of God's plan where two becom one.
Gen 12:5 refers to the people who they had won and persuaded to worship the true God.
Luke 4:23 comes from a proverb meaning...Attend to one's own faults, in preference to pointing out the faults of others.
Bill
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