Daily Devotionals for Women - Today's Encouraging Word from Scripture

GOD IS NOT PASSIVE IN MY MISTAKES

From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Genesis 20:1-3

Twenty years has passed since Abraham journeyed into Egypt, feared for his life in the presence of a Pharaoh and passed off Sarah as his sister. Pharaoh took Sarah as his own and God intervened to clean up the mess. Now, Abraham is doing the same thing again. Really? He would do this twice?

But, it’s been twenty years after all. It’s not like these events are weeks apart and the lesson of disobedience is still fresh. After two decades, Abraham is having another crisis of faith and falls in a similar way. Imagine that! I am not going to throw stones at him as I review the ways I struggle with my faith and end up distrusting God. There are always patterns in my disobedience too. If my life were captured in the storyline of scripture for all to see, it would be even more humbling than it is.

So on the eve of Isaac’s conception, Abraham’s choice to give up his wife to yet another king puts the entire Abrahamic line in jeopardy. God is not passive as He watches this. He is a Father who springs into action when His children mess things up. His inexhaustible mercy causes Him to preserve the promises He made in covenant love. For Abraham however, there was a silent period. His tent was empty. Sarah was gone. He had nothing but time and quiet to reflect on His disobedient choices. He could not perceive all that God was doing to rescue him. Sarah’s absence screamed hopelessness.

Are you in some crisis today? Does it appear as if it’s the end? You are also suffering in silence, unaware that God is doing anything on your behalf. “Be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil.1:6 God was active in Abraham’s storyline and you can be comforted that He works behind the scenes in your story too. Even when you and I mess things up, He makes a way for our return. He never lacks the ingenuity to know how to get our lives back on track even though we’re sure we’ve done irreparable damage. Oh, how powerful repentance is as it unlocks the power of heaven. God will step in to minimize the damage and correct our unfortunate detour.

I’m counting on Your active participation in my story today. Have mercy on me as I wait to see evidence of Your saving hand. Amen.

For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org