Abram 2 – a restless spirit 2

Just because Abram ‘pitched his tent’ did not appear to settle him. We read in Genesis 12:9 “Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev“. He was still searching. 

Sometimes the circumstances of life have a great impact on our search for and with God. The circumstance in this instance was a famine, Genesis 12:10, and so Abram journeyed on to Egypt. This is where the story gets messy. Rather than being guided by God he decides to take things into his own hands and so spun a little yarn about Sari his wife being his sister, a decision that could have gone badly wrong for him but we find that God was with Abram. You can read more of this story through the eyes of Oscar, the camel, by following this link https://steveford.org/oscars-travels-2. 

In Genesis 12:20 we read that Pharaoh issues a command to send Abram on his way with all that he owns. God is still on the throne even when we make mistakes. 

So in Genesis 13:1-4 we find Abram returning to the place where he started from, to the place where he had pitched his tent prior to his little detour down to Egypt. In life, especially when under pressure, we may do things that are quite reasonable and rationale but are not actually God’s plan for us. 

Abram acted reasonably and rationally when wanting to provide food for his family, his servants and livestock, yet his rationale got the better of him and so he covered up the fact that Sari was his wife for fear of losing her. It would appear, whilst reasonable and rational, going to Egypt in search of food was not in God’s plan for Abram.

After Abram had been released, or more accurately, moved on, we find him returning to the place he had left, the place where he had found security between Bethel and Ai and we find Abram did what all of us should do when we have taken control of our lives, he returned to the place where God had first spoken to him, the place where he had responded to God, to the place where God had appeared to him and given him the promise “to you and your descendants I will give this land” Genesis 12:7. Abram went back to the place of decision, back to the place where he had made a commitment to God and had demonstrated it by building an altar so that he could worship this creator God who had called him out and set him apart for His purpose and had kept and protected him in a time of need. It was back in this place of security that Abram re-committed himself to the Lord of his life and proceeded to call on the name of the Lord. It is always good for us to call on the name of the Lord, especially when we have realised that the cause of our actions have caused us to leave God outside of our existence and have resulted in us not walking in unity with God and His plan for us, however reasonable and rational our actions may have been. David, the psalmist puts this very eloquently in Psalm 116, which is worth reading, but in Psalm 116:7 he writes “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” So let us remember God is in control of our life’s journey what we are called to do is follow the voice, the inner conviction and let God the creator work out His plan for us. 

There will be times when we err from the conviction and there will be times when we act reasonably and rationally in all good faith and still go in the wrong direction. There may even be times when we take complete control and try to protect our own skin and in those situations it is imperative that we seek forgiveness and return to the place of security, the place where we first met God, or more accurately where God first met us, and repent and worship this wonderful creator who has given us life and given it abundantly. 

Jesus later said, “I am come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” John 10:10.

Abram found this statement to be true and lived a life where he became the friend of God 2 Chronicles 20:7 “Oh our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham?” and in  James 2:23 “and so it happened just as the scriptures say Abraham believed God and God counted him as righteous because of his faith, He was even called the friend of God. ” 

Abram searched for a city that had foundation whose builder and maker was God. What are we searching for and are we prepared to go and find it?

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