This is the daily PBJ devotional, and if you read all of the recommended readings every day, you will read through the Old Testament this year. But you can still get something out of these devotionals, even if you just listen to the part that I read. And today's readings are Genesis 12, Nehemiah 1, and Psalm 11. This devotional is about Genesis 12. Let's read it. Then the Lord said to Abram, leave your country, your kindred, and your father's household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you. So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Morah at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, I will give this land to your offspring. So Abram built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and he called on the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev. Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while, because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, look, I know that you are a beautiful woman. And when the Egyptians see you, they will say, this is his wife. So they will kill me, but will let you live. Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake. And on account of you, my life will be spared. So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. When Pharaoh's officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh. He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. The Lord, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, She is my sister, so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go. Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they sent him away with his wife and all his possessions. This is God's word. Every large nation, every big extended family, every large church or institution or corporation once started out as something small. Even if it scaled up quickly, it began with an idea and some ambition from one person or a small group of people. That's a small beginning. God promised Abram that he would become a great nation, according to verse two of our passage today, when all Abram had was his wife and his nephew. In faith, however, Abram believed God's promises and rearranged his life to be obedient to what God said. That's verses 1-9 here in Genesis 12. In verse 10 and following, however, Abram acted in fear rather than in faith. He instructed his wife to deceive, putting her in jeopardy so that he could protect himself. That was quite a departure from the venture of faith we read about in verses 1-9. Although Abram was inconsistent in his faith, God was faithful. Because of his promises, God acted supernaturally to extricate Abram and Sarai from the problem that Abram's unbelief caused. Isn't it amazing how good God is? He calls us to trust Him and is patient with us when our trust in Him buckles a little in the knees. If you are the kind of Christian who is always wondering if God still accepts you, still loves you, let this passage encourage you. None of us is always completely obedient to God at all times. Far from it, actually. It is not our faithfulness that matters. It is the object of our faith. If your faith is in yourself, that is, your consistency, your obedience, your morality, your dependability, or your whatever, that will do you no good because you can never be perfect. But if your faith is in God, however, He won't abandon you when you fail. His character, His promise, and the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ applied to us is all that we will ever need to have standing before God. and the faithfulness of God will cause us to grow in our faithfulness in him as we trust him each day. So I hope that strengthens your faith and I hope it helps you to walk faithfully with the Lord today. We'll see you next time. May God bless you. I hope you have a great day.