Ever been "stuck between a rock and a hard place?"
In Genesis chapter 20, Abraham journeys between Kadesh (which can be translated "a place in the desert) and Shur (which can be translated "the enemy"). And you could say, that it showed.
He ends up, for the second time in his life, playing his wife off as his sister which potentially made her an option as someone elses wife, concubine, etc. The second time! But God appears to the deceived suitor, Abimelech, in a dream telling him that Sarah is Abraham's wife, not sister.
Abimelech confronts Abraham on it, but then gives him money and lambs and land.
Now, this in no way means that we should sin. No.
But somehow, even in Abraham's weirdest most selfish tactics to keep himself alive and well, God seems to protect him and those he's deceiving. Now we could spend tons of time debating what Abe's real motives were, but one thing i see here is this...
Normally i am the one that condemns myself, not God. When i sin, or try and create my own scheme to get me through the desert and the enemy, and get caught in it, i beat myself up. But somehow God really has always proven faithful. No matter how many times i fail, or scheme, or act selfishly, God is faithful, even in my faithlessness.
"It is for freedom that Christ set you free." Galatians 5:1. Don't encumber yourself with schemes and tactics and selfishness to get yourself out of the desert and away from the enemy. And don't beat yourself up when you do act that way. Simply look to Christ to guide you. He will do so in a way that sets you free. Even from yourself.
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