Have you ever moved countries, changed jobs, or switched to a new program in school? Change is tough for most people.
Imagine Abraham:
God says, “Go from your country to the land I will show you” (Gen 12:1).
When Abraham got to Canaan, Abraham went to Shechem (Gen 12:6). From Shechem, he moved to Bethel (Gen 12: 8).
From Bethel, he headed to Egypt. (Gen 12:10). From Egypt, Abram headed to the Negeb, or Judah. (Gen 13:3).
From Judah, he travelled to Gerar, near Kadesh, the land of the Philistines (Gen 20:1). From Gerar, Abraham then moved to Beersheba, still in Philistine land (Gen 21:34).
Friends, this wonderful man, father of the nations, lived as a nomad. The world would call him mad!
As Abraham moved from place to place to place, he walked only by faith in the God he followed.
As expected, Abraham’s journey was eventful, always full of God’s intervention.
One day, Abraham journeyed to the land of Pharaoh. The Bible states that Pharaoh took Sarah into his harem (Gen 12:11-20). God attacked Pharaoh with serious plagues because of his actions against Sarah.
Years later, Abraham met King Abimelech. Again, the king took Sarah. Abraham was so scared, he told Abimelech, “She is my sister” (Gen 20:2).
Mercifully, God interfered with Abimelech and appeared to this heathen in a dream, warning him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” (Gen 20:3).
Abimelech freaked out! He pleaded with God, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this” (Gen 20: 3-5).
God answered, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” (Gen. 20:6-7)
God dealt very differently with these two kings:
With Pharaoh, when he takes Sarah, God doesn’t stop him from sinning. Instead, God delivered great punishment and plagues to Pharaoh for touching Sarah.
With Abimelech, God stops the king from sinning because he saw the integrity of his heart.
Hear This:
If you genuinely desire to please God, God will give you the grace to overcome ANY sin! If it is your genuine desire to please God, He will protect you! By fearing God, God will cause your eyes to be opened and show you the truth to help you.
All people need to understand this: God is wanting to help people who want help.
Yet many people remain fascinated by their temptations, desiring a temptation, waking with the same temptation on their mind, and then going to sleep with that temptation.
Beloved, God will never stop you and pull you away from what you desire, if you love your temptation more than your God.
The Bible says, “In all temptation, God will provide a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). Yet if you love your temptation more than you love your God, it is certain you will remain in your bondage!
How can you get out of your mess and get help from the Lord?
Hear God’s Word and fear Him!
To hear more from this powerful Word, come join us at this video.
Many people call themselves Christian, but they are lost, without direction, for they refuse to hear and obey God’s voice.
Why should God fight on your behalf, or on behalf of your children? Because, like Abraham, you are His child, and your proof of this truth is that you follow His Voice!
Dear friends, we do not belong to ourselves! We belong to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us (Eph. 5:2).
Our lives must be led by God!
Abraham was called a prophet by God. A prophet is somebody who is able to hear and understand the voice of God, and is able to navigate his life accordingly.
Abraham was a prophet because he heard God and followed Him everywhere God led!
Hundreds followed Abraham by faith, including his family, his servants and their families.
As Abraham heard and obeyed, he became the prophet of his house! When he followed in the ways of the Lord, knowing the heartbeat of God, Abraham became a prophet to many people who followed him.
When, like Abraham, you start listening to the gentle whispers of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will start taking you to deeper places. As you hear God’s voice, and move when God moves, like Abraham, your enemies will become God’s enemies. Your problems will become God’s problems.
Friends, resist temptation and respond with obedience to the quiet leading of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God is already in your Monday, already in your Tuesday, already in your Wednesday, far ahead of you! But if you’re not present, you will not hear.
Be present to God’s voice today. Love His Voice.
As you flee temptation and follow the Lord, may you take everything God has for your family, for your nation and for this generation, even as you live by faith before God your Father who loves you!
Watch the video here.