You will need your Bible today.
Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and i in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
Jesus is the source of all righteousness, apart from Him nothing is good enough, yet somehow we all seem to try to do things on our own from time to time. There is this inner struggle to let God have control of our lives, while there is a part of us doesn't want to let go. Paul calls it our sinful nature, or flesh.
Today we'll see Abram, in the flesh.
Please read Genesis 12:10-20
I don't think it's any coincident that mountains always come with valleys. I imagine as Abram was standing on mountains of Canaan (where we left him last time), he was pretty glad he had obeyed the LORD and traveled to this new and strange place. Every pasture, highland and city as far as his eyes could see would one day belong to his children. What an awesome blessing, but soon a famine over took the land and there wasn't enough food or water for everyone. I can't speak for Abram but I'd suddenly feel pretty disappointed with my new inheritance. Disappointed or not, Abram packed up the little family and moved south into Egypt.
Few things can send us so quickly into our flesh as fear. The very natural need to feel safe permeates almost everything we do. In the car we put on our seat belts, follow the rules of the road, buy cars with airbags, and crumple zones. At home we wash our vegetables, throw away bad meat, lock our doors, install smoke detectors, baby gates, outlet covers, and security alarms. Even if it isn't at the forefront for your mind, safety is always underlying everything you do. Making wise choices to keep you and your family safe isn't sin, but being in constant fear for your safety makes you vulnerable.
If fear make you vulnerable, then fear coupled with disappointment is a disaster in the making. Abram was clearly worried that his beautiful wife would attract the wrong kind of attention. He was afraid that Egyptians would kill him so that they could possess her. God had promised Abram that He would protect him and keep him safe, but Abram's fear got the best of him and he chose to handle the situation himself. Maybe after watching his promised land turn to dust in the famine, he wasn't feeling so good about God's promises anymore.
God however was faithful, He always is. When Abram lost his wife to the Pharaoh, God struck his entire household with a horrible illness. God also apparently revealed to Pharaoh the reason for the illness, he was a little upset with Abram for the little ruse.
Abram's deception cost him. He had broken faith with the LORD, lied to the Pharaoh, and compromised his wife's dignity. He was still alive but at a price, and it still took the LORD's faithfulness to get him out of the predicament that he put himself in. Under God's protection, Abram was able to leave Egypt with his wife and all his belongings and travel safely back toward Canaan.
Faith takes constant effort. Everyday we have to chose to follow Jesus and fight the urge to try life on our own. Blessings and joy can make faith seem a little easier, while disappointment and fear can knock your feet out from under you. God, however is always faithful. He promises to never leave or forsake us, to give us an abundant life and home with Him in eternity. When our eyes are on Him we can walk through the valleys of our lives without fear, while holding onto the joy of our last mountain top and the hope for the next one. Everyone stumbles, everyone falls sometimes, the question is do you sit down and pout or dust yourself off and refocus on Jesus?
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. for the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. they are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." Galatians 5:16 & 17
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