Genesis 12-14

Today we get to read the beginning of the story of Abraham. In the first 3 chapters we read today he is still called Abram. There is a lot going on in the text with 3 different stories connected in these 3 chapters. I find 2 great truths coming today among many that I would like to point out. These 2 truths seem to come up in my life continually and the more I desire Jesus or commit acts of unbelief in Him, the more they become real to me.

First, in chapter 12 God makes a promise to Abram about the land and giving it to him. But when the famine shows up Abram does not trust God and goes to Egypt, where He commits another act of unbelief and has his wife lie. To make matters worse later on in the story, when Pharaoh gives Abram gifts in 12:16, one of the gifts he gives is a servant named Hagar. But how many times in my life do I do the same thing as Abram. I commit a sin and make it worse by committing more sin and more sin rather than trust God first. Or I could repent of my first sin and have faith in God rather than sin the more and try to fix it myself. I can never fix my own sin, only God can. Abram in chapter 12 is giving us a negative action for us to see and respond differently than he does.  

The second application I find in my life when I desire God and obey what he wants is the truth about loving others and experiencing God deeper blessing. So Abram gets back from Egypt, he does not make the mistake this time and loves Lot and gives him his pick of the land. Lot chooses the better half, but God in spite of this, blesses Abram and reminds him of God’s promise from Chapter 12. I also find that when I take a seemingly sacrificial step of faith in God, He is even fuller of blessings and faithful responses to me. God wants us to take these steps of extreme faith in Him, because He is willing and desires to bless us, spiritually and sometimes physically, above and beyond what we think or can imagine.