Stress Test Devotional May 4
May 04, 2024
GENESIS 20:1-2 | 1From there Abraham journeyed toward the region of the Negeb and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While residing in Gerar as an alien, 2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” And King Abimelech of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
GENESIS 16:1-2 | 1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave whose name was Hagar, 2 and Sarai said to Abram, “You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
GENESIS 12:11-13 | 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you and that my life may be spared on your account.”
When we lose our sense of spiritual adventure, and when we can’t see God at work, we tend to respond both fearfully and forcefully. We stop following and take control of our own lives, trying to ensure our own safety and success.
These tendencies are evident in Abraham and Sarah. Abraham develops a ruse to avoid conflict with local rulers, passing Sarah off as his sister. He is fearful of the possibility of sexual jealousy and resulting rivalry and gives in to paranoia. Sarah gives up on natural childbirth and pursues surrogacy through the slave, Hagar. Together this struggling couple resort to manipulation and subterfuge in an effort to survive and create their family and future.
How do you balance active control of your own destiny with trust in God’s control?
Do you deal more with cynicism or fear?
