One of the first things we read about Abraham after he left his homeland at God’s command was an incident where he pretended that his wife was his sister. Now, just before the fulfilment of God’s promise of an heir, we read a remarkably similar story.

Here is a moment of suspense. The timing of their promised son’s birth had been confirmed as a year after God’s last visit to Abraham. But now, Sarah has been taken into another man’s harem. If there is to be an heir, is there now a danger that he could be Abimelech’s and not Abrahams? God intervenes and prevents this possibility, but we see that Abraham was prepared to put the promise in jeopardy for the sake of his own protection.

Can it be that Abraham does not trust God, even after all that has happened? It almost beggars belief that he would make this same mistake twice, especially after all his dealings with the Lord. Abraham was a prophet, who had boldly interceded with the Lord for Sodom, but he was still capable of stumbling in his faith, and of making the same mistake twice.

In that sense, Abraham is the same as any one of us. Up in the heavens one day, down in the depths the next. We may have amazing moments of revelation, but we can still stumble, stray and settle for less than God’s best. Perhaps you, like Abraham, have made the same mistake twice.

Yet this whole episode reveals God’s incredible faithfulness to Abraham, even in the face of Abraham’s lack of faith. God’s eternal purposes were not thwarted by Abraham’s humanity, and they won’t be disrupted by ours either. This is not to say that our lack of faith does not matter – there are still consequences – but God is bigger than our failure. If you have ever failed again and again, be reassured that God is faithful and his purposes are eternal. He is bigger than your failure. His faithfulness does not fail.

next devotional >>

 

 

NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH