«But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness» (Nehemiah 9:17).
WHAT WAS ABRAHAM THINKING when he lied to Abimelech, the king of Gerar, by making him believe that Sarah was his sister? A quick analysis of the situation clearly shows that Sarah would have been in less danger being presented as Abraham’s wife. A husband has rights over his wife, precisely because they are married, but what rights would Abraham have over Sarah if she were only his sister?
On that occasion, as when he lied in Egypt, Abraham was thinking of his own safety. He asked Sarah to present herself as his sister because he feared that the Egyptians, once they saw her beauty, would kill him while sparing her life (see Genesis 12:11—13). What was the outcome of his plan? It simply didn’t work. The biblical account tells us that Pharaoh had Sarah brought to his home, obviously to make her one of his wives; which incidentally did not happen because of Gods timely and miraculous intervention. There are several lessons for us in this «dark» episode of Abraham’s life.
The first is that none of us are free from mistakes. Even the giants of faith had their downfalls; some were scandalous, like David’s; others are inexplicable, as in Abraham’s case.
The second lesson is that, after their falls, these heroes of faith did not stay on the ground. The Word of God says that David became a man after Gods own heart (see Acts 13:22), and God calls Abraham «My friend» (Isaiah 41:8). Somehow, their failures helped them depend even more on the heavenly Father.
Finally—and this may be the most valuable lesson—even though Abraham showed a lack of faith by lying about his true relationship with Sarah, God never abandoned him. Not only did God protect his wife, but He made it very clear that the patriarch was still His representative, despite his mistake (see Genesis 20:7).
If, like me, you have taken some wrong steps, remember that our God is «ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness.» No matter how low you may have fallen, He will never leave you, as indicates Ellen G. White: «If in our ignorance we make missteps, the Saviour does not forsake us. We need never feel that we are alone.»—The Ministry of Healing, ch. 18, p. 249.
Thank You, dear heavenly Father, because despite my continuing mistakes and sins,
You receive me every time I come to You for forgiveness.
Also, thank You for Your promise that You will always be with me until the end of the world.
#AdultsDevotional
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Colaboradores: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
