TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?” Genesis 12:18
Read: Genesis 12:10-20
Listen: Genesis 12
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The Bible doesn’t edit the failings of its major characters. God allows us to learn from their lives of faithful progress, but also their detours. King David slept with his general’s wife and then had him killed. Elijah had a major meltdown and asked to die. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times in one night. And Abram (later to be named Abraham) lied about his wife to save his life, putting God’s promise of a future family at risk.
We might expect such failures to be the end. Surely God would call someone else who is more faithful and will get it right. Yet in each of their failures, we see the faithful mercy of God. David repented and is still known as a man after God’s own heart. Elijah directed the people back to God. Peter led the early church. God still used Abram to bring blessings to all people. God always provides a path of redemption back to himself.
We will face hardship. We too will make wrong decisions. In some seasons, our spiritual life will stall and we’ll experience a gap in our growth. But our failure isn’t final. We are not defined by our time away from God, but our time with him. We can come back to God and begin again, no matter how far we have wandered.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
The path back to God starts with a willingness to move beyond failure and end your gap with God. Begin the week with a prayer telling God your desire to grow. “Father, I have failed many times, but you never fail. I need your help to end my gap. I desire to grow closer to you. Show me how to start anew this week in my relationship with you. Amen.”
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
