Prosperity
Abram first affirmed their relationship and expressed his desire to preserve harmony between them. Instead of pulling rank, he became a mentor.
Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
Abram first affirmed their relationship and expressed his desire to preserve harmony between them. Instead of pulling rank, he became a mentor.
Abram lied to Pharaoh to save his own skin, telling him that Sarai was his sister. In doing so, he put her in jeopardy. But where he failed to protect his wife, the Lord overwhelmingly succeeded in doing so.
In case you’re feeling superior right about now, thinking you’d never lie the way Abram did, let me offer a warning from Scripture: “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).
If you know what God wants you to do, obedience isn’t complicated. It may be difficult, but it’s not complicated. Don’t wait any longer for all the details to be worked out. The Lord has given you an opportunity to grow in faith.
Everything within us recoils from making big changes without thorough planning. Most of us need to see where we’re jumping before committing to a leap. But God called Abram to obey this call without complete information.
As a pastor, I often get asked questions regarding God’s will. Let’s consider four of the more common ones.
Want to know God’s will for your life? Let me ask you to stop, look, and listen. God makes His desires known to those who stop at His Word, look in with a sensitive spirit, and listen to others. When we go to His Word, we stop long enough to hear from above.
In those seasons when it’s difficult to see God’s purpose and promise, remember where your hope and encouragement are found—in the person and purposes of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you’re in that painful space right now, my word for you is: persevere! Hope in God—this is not the end.
When you find yourself dealing with doubt, let me give you three things to remember. First, God cannot lie. He can test, and He will. He can say no, and He sometimes will; He can say yes, and He will; He can say wait, and occasionally He will—but God cannot lie.