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Frail Wanderings

Words of Faith Final

Frail Wanderings
Words of Faith 3-9-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL    
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 12
    [10] Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. [11] As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. [12] When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. [13] Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."
    [14] When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. [15] And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. [16] He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
    [17] But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. [18] So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? [19] Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" [20] Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

         I love this story. Early in our discovery of Abram, we learn that he struggled to walk by faith! The first of the Patriarchs did not always trust God or do the right thing.
         It all started when a severe famine came, and Abram went to Egypt. He was not directed by God to go there; he took things into his own hands. God could have easily cared for Abram in Canaan, but Abram did not trust God for this provision. Many times, this is where we get off track! We simply fail to take God at his word and trust Him for what we know.
         Once Abram was in Egypt, he was afraid for his own life. Sarai was very beautiful, and he was afraid of the attention she would attract. So Abram told a lie. Actually, it was a half-truth about Sarai. She was indeed his sister (actually a half-sister; 20:12. So he conveyed to the Egyptians only what he wanted them to know.
        Abram's motive was based on fear, not faith. While in enemy territory, a husband could be killed for his wife. But if Abram were known as her brother, someone wanting her would have to make marriage arrangements with him. This would give him time to react in his own interest.
      I have often wondered how Sarai must have felt as she went off to the harem of Pharaoh, knowing that her husband had acted like a coward. This would not play well in most homes!
         The wonderful point here is that the Lord watched over Sarai. There was nothing to fear. There never was. The Lord had made His promise to them. There was no reason to falter. By divine intervention, Sarai was set free and the Lord even blessed Abram and Sarai with significant wealth.
         So what do we learn from this?
         First, the walk of faith is never perfect. In our trusting of God, we will likely falter. We should not plan to falter, but we also should know that even father Abram did not trust perfectly. That is an encouraging thought!
         Second, we can learn that the Lord God continues to work with us even when we get off course! Abram did not even need to be in Egypt. He certainly did not need to pawn his wife off as a sister. Yet, the Lord watched over them. God was still at work! God continues to watch over us, even when our failures get us off track.
         Finally, we should recognize that with the help of the Lord, we can always get back on course! The Lord is gracious in His forgiveness and in His blessing. There is no blunder in life that God cannot work with to restore and even use for His glory.
         Have you struggled in your walk of faith? Be encouraged. Even Abram struggled to trust. Have you gotten off course? Trust Him today, and He will get you back on course. Do you need forgiveness and grace? The Lord is more willing to give than we are to receive.

         Lord, I thank You for Abram. I thank You for the honesty of the Scripture to reveal both the strengths and the weaknesses of Your people. Most of all, I am grateful for another chance. I am grateful for a new day. I am thankful for Your grace and love. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.