My Bethel and Egypt

Pastor preached an message from Genesis 12 today, which was on Abraham's decision to travel to Egypt tho' he knew GOD wanted him to stay at Canaan since it's the land that GOD has promised to give to his seed. I will not go into the details of this passage but perhaps just reflect on how it has spoken to me.

1) Over time (i dunno precisely when), I find myself getting more and more impressed with Abraham's faith. After all, when GOD told him to pack up and leave Ur, he left, not knowing where exactly God will lead him to. He had no precise answers for himself, nor for his household. He only knew God told him to go and he obeyed. How tough it is for us to do that now! Perhaps we are just more faithless and tangled with the affairs of this world. Can I do that? Will my household move with me? ...

2) I wasn't surprised by Abraham's decision to go to Egypt instead cos' there was a famine in Canaan at that time. Perhaps more unwittingly, I actually thought it was quite good logic to move to Egypt as i read the passage. I mean, after all, Canaan was having a famine? But GOD's ways are often not our ways, neither are His thoughts our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). When GOD says something, His word is as good as it is and we should continue therein, even in 'famine' circumstances. To others, we may seem silly. That's not the worse, i think sometimes it's even harder to convince ourselves. It is a trust, a faith that is really the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Am musing on these things, this is not meant to be a sermon summary or smthg like this : ) Bethel (as in my entry title) was a place in Canaan where Abraham had built an altar to GOD and had fellowship with Him, before he moved to Egypt. In the end, Abraham returned to Bethel to fellowship with GOD again. Admittedly, at this point in writing, I have a problem continuing...what step should this writer here take? To Egypt- which seems so 'right' to the flesh? or retrace steps to Canaan- where there is a promise awaiting albeit it seems to shine so dimly that a human would question it. Sighz...let me spend time at Bethel first.

Dear friends, which one would you choose today?