DEALING WITH DIFFICULTIES

 

"There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine in the land was severe." (Genesis 12:10 HCSB)

"and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land." (Genesis 13:7 HCSB)

Faith untested is faith unproven. It is rather easy to profess faith when one walks through a lush meadow--a gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers and the lyrics of larks to us--beneath an unclouded sky. The challenge is to possess faith when we must climb a steep, rocky path--a howling storm assailing us! While we thank God for the times of tranquility, we had better be prepared for the days of difficulty. The latter will come to those who purpose to walk by faith.

And so, the test arrives. God will permit it. In His sovereign wisdom, He allows the difficulties to develop us. Faith is hammered out on the anvil of adversity and forged in the fires of difficulty. Faith is such a precious thing that God will do what it takes--painful as it may be--to form such a faith. The devil is also keenly aware of the potential of the man or woman who taps into the power and provision of God by faith. Thus, the flip side of the test is the intent of Satan in the difficulty--not to develop faith, but destroy it! When we walk by faith, the rocks on the road will either become stepping stones or stumbling blocks--depending on our response.

In Genesis twelve, we find Abraham and Sarah beginning a journey of faith. God has called them to a new land--a new life, really--and off they go, trusting in His Word. They arrive safely and appear to abide serenely. Wherever they pitch their tent, Abraham builds an altar. Communion with God is a consistent experience. How blessed--and how brief! We discover the Sunday pinnacle of praise is followed by the Monday valley of problems. Faith is always tested.

The blessedness of Canaan is supplanted by the barrenness of famine! Abraham soon encounters a difficult problem, as documented in the last half of chapter twelve. Difficult problems call for endurance--for not rushing into hasty decisions, but abiding in faith. But, Abraham did not. He foolishly chose to walk by sight instead of faith--and the results were costly--nearly catastrophic!

He goes down to Egypt. It is always "down" when you follow your own path rather than God's. Abraham drags his wife into danger with him. The effects of our choices are never limited to us, and when we stray from faith, it is those closest to us who suffer most for it. His disbelief leads to deception and the discrediting of his testimony. How could a pagan king believe anything a hypocrite like Abraham would claim about God? In fact, without the intervention of God, the blessing God intended to bring upon the world through Abraham is in jeopardy as his wife has become part of a heathen harem! Of course, God proved faithful even when His servant proved faithless. God is true when every man is a liar. His will, ultimately, cannot be thwarted. But that doesn't mean we may not suffer consequences from our folly.

Abraham was a saved man, but not a sinless man. None of us are. Yet, even though there was not perfection in his faith, there was progression in his faith. Back in Canaan, we find him facing more difficulty. This time, not so much a difficult problem as a difficult person. The need wasn't endurance by not rushing into a hasty decision to the problem, as in Genesis twelve, but the need of forbearance by not responding with a hateful action to the person in chapter thirteen.

It is a record of strife and stress--again played out on the public stage where the heathen are watching. This time, Abraham chooses to walk by faith and not by sight. He refuses to assert his rights, but accepts his responsibilities. The end result is the reward of God! Faith rests in the Lord's promises.

Lot, on the other hand, walks by sight--leaning on human reason rather than seeking heavenly revelation. Abraham's nephew never bothers to pray, nor defer back to his uncle. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? But, there is this matter of Sodom. The pasture was just what Lot needed for material prosperity--so, what if some of the neighbors had a bad reputation? We know how that worked out.

So, here we are, assured that difficult problems and difficult people will arise suddenly like a thunderstorm bursting on your summer picnic. You have no choice about whether your faith will be tested--it always will. You do have a choice in whether you will pass or fail the test. It is smart to learn from your mistakes, but smarter to learn from the mistakes of others. What have you learned from Abraham and Lot's decisions? Bear this in mind, "so that the genuineness of your faith-more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7 HCSB)