Daily Bible Study

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Day 14 – Trust Genesis 12:10 Now there was a severe famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there. 11 It happened, when he was close to Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore, it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, so that it may be well with me for your sake, and I may live because of you.” 14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh, and they took the woman to Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17 But the LORD (Jehovah) plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all he had. God’s name: Jehovah – Self-existent, Eternal God’s character: Refuge Does your reputation precede you? Do people know how you will act in a given situation? Abram went to Egypt because of the famine in the land of Canaan. Before he got there, he told Sarai to tell the Egyptians, she was his sister so they wouldn’t kill him. Abram didn’t trust Jehovah to keep him safe among strangers, he trusted his plan. It almost worked. When the Egyptians saw how beautiful Sarai was, they took her to Pharaoh as part of his household. Jehovah had other plans and plagued Pharaoh’s household because of Sarai. When Pharaoh discerned why Jehovah troubled his household, he reprimanded Abram and gave him back his wife and told him to go his way with the livestock and servants he acquired while he was in Egypt. Abram was looking out for himself. He didn’t want to die because his wife was beautiful. Therefore, he didn’t trust Jehovah to keep him safe among strangers. He was not yet in the place where his faith in Jehovah would keep him safe in every situation. It was okay to trust Him to lead him to a new country, but in a place where women were prized for their beauty, he trusted in subterfuge. How much like Abram are you when it comes to trusting Jehovah to keep you safe? Do you seek ways to ensure your safety? Do you consider what your actions will cost you if you fail? Abram knew Pharaoh’s reputation for beautiful women and told Sarai to say she was his sister. She was in fact, his sister. In a similar situation he explained who Sarai was to him. Genesis 20:12 “Yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.” Abram didn’t lie to Pharaoh; he didn’t tell him the whole truth. You know when you don’t tell the whole truth, it’s the same as lying. It’s a manipulative strategy people use to get what they desire. How often have you tried to manipulate a situation to your advantage? Did it work? How long were you able to manipulate the situation? Eventually, people find out the truth and hold you accountable for your actions. If you trust Jehovah and call Him your God, you need to trust Him in every situation in your life. Don’t pick and choose when you will trust Him and when you will trust yourself. When you do, you allow Satan to control your life. It might not seem like it to you, but if you don’t trust God, you’re trusting Satan. Jehovah will keep you safe even in the most difficult situations. Trust Him and don’t let your faith waver. Let’s pray: Father, too often I trust myself and what I can do in difficult situations. Help me to trust You and look to You for guidance when everything around me tells me to trust myself. Let me know when I trust myself, I am trusting Satan. I don’t want him in my life, controlling me or my actions. Increase my faith, so that no matter what life looks like, I can trust You to see me through. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 1 February 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.