September 28, 2026

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, ‘God is with you in everything you do. Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.’ Abraham said, ‘I swear it.’” (Genesis 21.21-24)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10.13) “At THAT time….” How many times have we been inundated by one issue after another, one crisis after another, one annoying moment after another? There are times when it seems as if it will never stop! As Paul was preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem to Rome and many points in between through Samaria, Judea, Asia Minor and Greece (all provincially under the rule of the Roman Empire), we hear of the same happening to him. I wonder if Paul, as we often do, lamented to God in the name of Jesus Christ “When will it stop?” We lament to ourselves, and sometimes out loud, “How much more? I can’t take this anymore. It just goes on and on.” The temptation is to believe that stopping what we are doing as followers of Christ, to stop trying to live godly lives as Jesus taught his disciples to do and they to us through generations of witnesses will bring an end to our troubles. We only need to look around us and see that those who are not Christ followers are suffering under their own burdens which comes from living in a broken world. They may not identify it as the consequences of sin. They may say, “That’s just life!” We, however, know it is far more than that. This is not the life which God intended for any of God’s people; believers or not. Yet, He has equipped us for living in these days so that we are in the world but not of it. He has equipped us with the promise, as the Apostle Paul shared with those in Corinth, “God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can endure. He will make it possible to get through it.” To our way of thinking it may seem as if God is taking His sweet time resolving the issues confronting and confounding us. As believers, we know that this is part of the plan for survival in this world. The world, under the influence of the enemy of God and humankind, seeks truly to “steal, kill and destroy.” That destruction seems welcomed to many as they would be delivered from this world and returned to the dust and microbial life from which they came. End of story. Sadly, it is not. There is life after death and it is forever…forever Heaven or forever Hell. There is no escaping this reality. So what is it that will allow us to endure, that which God makes possible to never be taken away? It is the promise of our salvation which is already given in Jesus Christ. That salvation includes all the instruction and empowerment needed to endure and overcome the attack of the enemy. Heaven is God’s promise that salvation is true. It is where He dwells on high and in Christ Jesus, His kingdom is also here on earth. Its evidence is our desire to pursue faith and live out our belief regardless of how dire the circumstances may seem to be.

We get a foretaste of that in the continuing story of Abimelek and Abraham. While Abraham was dealing with Sarah and her fervent bitterness toward Hagar and Ishmael, he was still a stranger in a stranger’s land. Abimelek had witnessed evidences of the power of the God of Abraham. He had heard of Sodom and Gomorrah and may have even smelled the burning residue of the holy conflagration. He also had experienced sickness and impotence for himself and his wives which was the consequence of taking Sarah, Abraham’s sister and wife, to be one of those wives. He experienced God’s confrontation and Abraham’s intervention. That led to his confessing, being forgiven and being healed so that he, too, would prosper for future generations. Now, “at that time,” which was when Abraham was lamenting with God the situation between Sarah and Hagar, Abimelek and Phicol his general approached. It seemed that Abraham’s presence was almost to much to bear. Yes, Abraham was prosperous. God’s promise to “more numerous” was already well on its way with cattle, sheep and other livestock. Abraham prospered in mining and in milling. Abimelek saw that abundance that seemed to multiply without effort. Abimelek feared the vastness of Abraham’s influence. He feared the God of Abraham whom he believed was the author of it more. So, while Abraham was lamenting having to send out his firstborn son and his mother into the wilderness like scapegoats to satisfy Sarah and confirm his belief in the promise of God through Isaac, here comes Abimelek and his entourage. What more could happen? How much more could Abraham endure? The temptations of promise, power and prosperity surrounded him at every turn. The responsibility of faithfulness to the One who brought him into the Promised Land was taxing and complicated. In the end, Abraham was just a man. He was no ordinary man, however, he was a man of God. And God had promised him a legacy of faith and faithfulness beyond imagination if he would stay the course and keep God first. God made a way! He will make a way for us, too. Believe, endure and experience the joy of your salvation.

TODAYS’ PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness endeavor, but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.