Faith – Famine – Fear – God Intervenes – Faith
When you walk by faith in the living Lord God, all is right in your world. You worship the Lord with delight.
Then famine comes, in whatever form, and fear crowds in causing you to turn from trusting the Lord God.
The Lord God intervenes in ways that you may not recognize. Then you turn to Him and walk by faith once again, worshiping Him who saves you.
This cycle has happened countless times to God’s people. Abram is one example.
The following is a paraphrase of Genesis 12.Walking by faith in the living Lord God
Abram was called to walk with God into a new land, and he responded. First he lived in Haran, when his father died Abram was 75 years old. He left Haran and went into Canaan.
He had a wife Sarai, a nephew Lot and many possessions.He traveled to Shechem and there the Lord appeared to him and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” (NASB Genesis 12:7)
There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped Him.
Then he journeyed to Bethel and pitched his tent and built an altar and worshiped the Lord.Walking by fear
Famine, a severe famine, was in the land and Abram moved south into Egypt. In Egypt, Abram feared for his life – he asked Sarai, his wife, to say she was his sister. She was beautiful and he feared the Egyptians would kill him for her. The Egyptians did think she was beautiful and Pharaoh added her to his harem, and lavished many expensive gifts on Abram – flocks, herds and servants.The Lord God intervened and struck the Egyptians with many plagues. Pharaoh learned that Sarai was the wife of Abram.
The integrity of Pharaoh was proven: he confronted Abram, sent him on his way with his wife and lavish gifts.
Walking by faith – again.
Abram went north into Canaan, back to the place where he had worshiped the Lord near Bethel. (Paraphrase of Genesis 13:1-4)
~ Take it to heart ~
I am to walk by faith – today and in all of my tomorrows.
When I stumble and fear causes me to turn from God, I need to remember, He is waiting for me, intervening for me to turn to Him again.
(NASB) 2 Corinthians 5:7 “for we walk by faith, not by sight –”