BULLETIN ARTICLE
12 May 2019
GOD NEVER FAILS

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14a)

In Genesis 18, Abraham wrestled with God in intercession about saving Sodom and Gomorrah from total destruction. Abraham was indeed a man of great faith and prayer. God remembered Abraham’s prayer when he was about to totally destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. However, when we get to Genesis 20, Abraham did not remember that he worshipped a great and powerful God. No specific reason was given why Abraham moved to the Philistines land of Gerar and stayed there for a while. In order to preserve his life, Abraham felt he needed to tell a half-truth to Abimelek, king of Gerar, in order to protect his own life. In this incident, God in his wisdom, intervened the outcome of Abraham’s action in miraculous ways:
 Abimelek was prevented from committing adultery with Sarah
 God spoke to Abimelek about his present situation in a dream
 God answered Abraham’s prayer for Abimelek and he was healed
 God healed the women in Abimelek’s household so that they can conceive again

God is sovereign and all-powerful but he will not always intervene in human matters when men’s actions will cause themselves and others to suffer. God did not stop Herod from killing the baby boys in Bethlehem during the time of Jesus’ birth. Recently on Sunday April 28, God also did not stop the jihadist terrorist gunmen in Burkina Faso, Africa, from killing the Church Pastor, Pierre Ouedraogo, when he refused to denounce his faith in Jesus. The other 5 victims included his son and son-in-law. Ultimately, it is God who decides when and how one live or die. He has his purposes which we will never fully understand.

Centuries after Abraham, during the time of the Israelites exile in Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace. They refused to bow down to the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They correctly responded to the King: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17,18). Similarly, for Pastor Pierre Ouedraogo, he had sensed danger from jihadist enemies to Christianity in the neighbourhood. However, according to a Church statement “he prefers to die for his faith rather than leave the village where he has served for nearly 40 years”. Let us learn the lesson from Abraham in his interaction with Abimelek and to totally depend on God. He will never fail us.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:8).