Devotions with Amber De Haan

Faithful Noah built an ark. We've themed nurseries after this adorable story with cute animals. In Genesis 8, the flood recedes. God shows his faithfulness to faithful Noah. But have you read Chapter 9? Noah is found drunk and naked in his tent. Faithful Noah, succumbing to the world's temptations? Yep. And then God gave up on him and he killed Noah off too. Oh wait, nope that's not how it went. God still chose Noah. And Noah still chose God. And his family line continued to bring us closer to the Savior who would crush the serpent in our lives.

A few chapters later (Genesis 11) Abram comes out of Noah's family line. Faithful Abram, who would as Abraham, father the nation of Israel, God's chosen people. God calls Abram in Genesis 12 and he faithfully goes. But then things get scary. A famine comes and he takes matters into his own hands. He sells his wife off as his sister and she is taken as the king's own wife. He walks off of the path God called him to, because he thought he knew best how to get to the end. It created havoc and heartbreak. But God did not leave Abram! God's promises remained. They all still came true, even though Abram royally messed everything up. God guided Abram back to his truth.

So what? What does this teach me? Sometimes I think this walk with Christ means I have to be perfect, that I must always get it right, and that if I don't, I have no faith. Sometimes I am afraid to take the next step because I can see all of the places I am going to fail. But that's not what God gave us his word to teach us. If you are afraid to take the next step in your faith walk with Jesus because you just aren't sure if you will get it right, you are in good company. Let me encourage you to give it a go. Take a step, even if it is tiny. Know that God's promises stand, even when we mess up. We aren't powerful enough to thwart God's plan. I'm so thankful that even when I'm not, He is faithful.

Amber De Haan