A Bad Choice

"Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land." (Gen. 12:10)

What is missing in this text is an instruction from God to go to Egypt. Abram took it upon himself to solve a problem he was facing, that of hunger. This is the man who had left everything to blindly follow God, and yet now when confronted with a test, he acts in the flesh.

We are free to make our choices. Everyday we are confronted with choices that test our Christian faith and character. But while we are free to make our choices, we are not free to determine the consequences of those choices. Abram and Sarai determine to lie when they arrive in Egypt, and at the very least it destroys their opportunity to witness to Pharaoh. In fact, this ungodly ruler of Egypt acts with more integrity than our couple of faith.

Later, when they go back to the place God had led them, Abram and his nephew Lot divide and go two directions because of their large resources of livestock and the need for abundant grazing land. Abram gives Lot a choice, and Lot pitches his tent toward Sodom. Sodom reminds Lot of Egypt, and the compromise of Abram now becomes the compromise of Lot, and soon it would have disastrous consequences in his life. Lot would eventually move into Sodom and become a leader in that wicked community. When God destroys Sodom, Lot escapes because of the prayers of his uncle, but he loses his wife in the process. And the day before he was willing to give his daughters to immoral people.

Be aware that every choice has a consequence. It is important that we trust in God with all of our hearts and make the right choices.

God's Call

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you." (Gen. 12:1)

When God called Abram to follow Him, He did not provide much information. He doesn't tell Him where He is going, or much about what He will do. God does promise to bless Him and make Him a blessing to the nations of the earth. But that is about it. The remarkable thing is that Abram responds the way he does. "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him." (Gen. 12:4).
Consider how much time we spend arguing with God. "Where are we going Lord? What are we going to do when we get there? Tell me your plan and I will get back to You on whether I want to do it or not?" And yet the call of Jesus on our lives is simply, "Come follow me." We can struggle with the decision of obedience everyday, or we can surrender fully once and for all. The first option creates a great deal of turmoil in our lives, and the second brings peace and joy.
This week we are going to focus on the life of Abraham, formerly Abram, until God changes his name. What's in a Name? Consider how often God changes a person's name as He changes the person's life. God is all about transformation. When you say "yes" to God, He sets in motion a lifetime of transformation as He recreates you in the image of His Son. It is the restoration of what was lost when sin came into the world.
God is about so much more than simply saving your soul from an eternity in hell. He is all about transforming you for His incredible glory.