A Man Said to His Wife, "Just Pretend that You're My Sister" (Genesis 12:10-17)

“[A] famine came to the land. Abram went down to Egypt to live; it was a hard famine. As he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, ‘Look. We both know that you’re a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you they’re going to say, ‘Aha! That’s his wife!’ and kill me. But they’ll let you live. Do me a favor: tell them you’re my sister. Because of you, they’ll welcome me and let me live.’ When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians took one look and saw that his wife was stunningly beautiful. Pharaoh’s princes raved over her to Pharaoh. She was taken to live with Pharaoh. Because of her, Abram got along very well: he accumulated sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, men and women servants, and camels. But God hit Pharaoh hard because of Abram’s wife Sarai; everybody in the palace got seriously sick”

(Genesis 12:10-17, The Message)

The journey God called Abram to take wasn’t safe. Abram had to pass through the lands of foreign countries. As Abram’s danger grew, his fear grew, his faith shaken – especially in the land of the mighty pharaoh. Pharaoh of Egypt was the sort of man who took whatever he wanted. Abram was afraid Pharaoh would want his beautiful wife, Sarai, and would kill him (her husband) to have her.

Now, Abram had a choice: #1 He could put his trust and faith in God who promised to see him through, or #2 He could attempt to solve the problem in his own strength and wisdom. Well… he chose what humanly obvious, he chose #2. Obviously, it was a perfectly understandable reaction when things feel out of control (I’m taking about my own experience too). Our first instinct is to attempt to take control. But in relying on his own wisdom, Abram made a mess of things. He forsook his own wife, prostituting her (yes, that was how it seem to be) to save his own skin. What?

“When we trust our own resources,” Faith Words explained, “we draw a very strict limit around the solutions that are available to us. Many of those solutions are worse than the original problem.” When we rely on God instead of solely on ourselves, we open ourselves to a whole universe of solutions. Internally, there is the Holy Spirit in you; externally, there is the Word of God for you. In Christ, you choice is unlimited!

[P.s: In the end, God saved Abram from sinned against his wife and pharaoh]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.