Chapter 12 of Genesis begins with God’s call to Abram and His promises to him as well. Being made into a great nation, where his name will be made great, he’ll have land and offspring and be a blessing to the nations. Wow! God promises great things to happen through the lineage of Abram. And they do, but not for a long time. The remaining chapters of Genesis will unfold as God works out the keeping of His promises through a people who don’t.

The first account of Abram not keeping his promises to his wife, Sarai, are seen in him giving her to the Pharaoh, pretending she is his sister. Abram’s thought process may seem OK on the surface, for the sake of being spared, but we see this decision allows the Pharaoh to take Sarai as his wife, thus breaking the bond of marriage purity and devotion. Yet God still works His will in the midst of the choices of man. I find it also interesting that the Pharaoh, an unbeliever in God, gets upset at Abram due to the unethical/immoral actions of taking another man’s wife to be his own. The Pharaoh didn’t like being deceived and, in his anger, rids himself of Abram and Sarai. Off they go…again.

PRAYER: “Gracious Father in Heaven, forgive me of the times I’ve sought to deceive people trying to spare myself. Help me live truthfully, honestly, and boldly confident in Your protection and guidance as I don’t know how my life will unfold. In the powerful and precious name of Jesus. Amen.”