Fear or Faith?

There were two things in God’s vision that Abram needed to hold on to if it was to come to pass.   They were the land where God told him to go and his wife, Sarai.   To become a great nation, he would need to stay in the land.  To foster that nation, he would need to stay with his wife, Sarai, who would bring forth the promised son.   

Remember God’s purpose here, it would be through Abraham’s seed that a nation would be born, Israel.  And it would be through Israel that God bring forth to the nations both His word and His Son, Jesus, who would bring salvation to all nations.

But in Genesis 12:10 we read that “Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe…”   The circumstances here were no doubt very difficult.  The word for "severe" here in the Hebrew can also be translated "too big to carry or too hard to penetrate."  None of us have ever experienced a famine with this magnitude.  

The closest thing we have to famines today in America are downsizing, economic down turns, financial struggle and unemployment.  Those are the things that will can cause great fear in our hearts.  Those are the things that have the power to push us away from the place of God’s choosing.

I believe that Abram left the place of God’s choosing when he took Sarai and went to Egypt.  No doubt to stay in the land God promised would be a great act of faith.  But remember that this is the same God who fed the children of Israel with manna from heaven, this is the same God who fed 5000 with 2 fish and 5 loaves.  God was able, but Abraham doubted and abandoned the place of God’s choosing.

Abram also forfeited the person of God’s choosing.  In Genesis 12:11-13, we read “As Abram was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, ‘I know what a beautiful woman you are.  When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife,’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.  Say you are my sister so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” 

Look at how one bad choice led to another.  He forfeited the place of God’s choosing and now he is forfeited the person of God’s choosing.  Why?  He was afraid.  That is where abandonment of God’s vision for our lives begins.  Fear.  One person defined fear this way, “F-E-A-R: FALSE, EVIDENCE, APPEARING, REAL.”

Remember God’s vision to Abram, ‘Go to the land I will show you and I will make you into a great nation…  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you…”  In other words, Abram I will protect you.  But again Abram faltered.  Why?  He was worried and doubted God’s ability to take care of him. 

But God was faithful to restore Abram.  We read in Genesis 12:17-20 that God intervened and rescued both Abram and Sarai.  God inflicted diseases on Pharaoh’s household and ultimately not only restores them but send them back to the Promised Land with great wealth. Perhaps this is the greatest news when we come into a personal relationship with God. 

His grace is greater than our failures and weaknesses and inadequacies.  His love is greater than our doubts and fears.  His promises are more certain that our worries and anxiety.   All of us when we are afraid are capable of running away from God in trial.

But Scripture tells us that God doesn’t let his children just run away.  He is a loving father.  He may give us up to our own devises for a season that we may learn wisdom.  He may allow famines and unbelievably difficult times in our lives, but he will never let us go.   Let us remember that great promise in Romans 8:25-36, “What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”