Genesis 20:11 (NASV)
Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.
What happens when you use your imagination rather than having faith in God and his plan? In the above section (and verse) we see that Abraham, after traveling to the land of Gerar, wanted to make sure the king, Abimelech, didn't kill him and take Sarah, Abraham's wife. God prevents this by warning Abimelech in a dream to keep his hands off Sarah. Abraham didn't help the situation because rather than trust God he lied to Abimelech and told him that Sarah was his sister, not his wife. Why did Abraham do all this deception? In the above verse we see his explanation. He "assumed" that their was no "fear of God" in the place and therefore acted on his own plans and his own methods. This is a formula for disaster. Assumption that God can't work in a place like this is a sure way to find yourself in a worse spot. God can act and care for us anywhere. The story of Joseph, Jonah, Daniel, and Paul show us this. Abraham forgot God's master plan. The actual reason he lied to Abimelech was his lack of faith and trust in God's plan. God had told him Sarah and he would give birth to a son. That means God would not allow an unbelieving king to hurt them. He needed to remember God's promises. In chapter 22 that actually happens when God asks him to sacrifice the child (Isaac). Here Abraham remembers that Isaac will be a leader of a great nation. That meant, in Abraham's mind, that if he killed Isaac, God would raise him from the dead to fulfill God's plan. God's plans are not hindered by unbelieving kings. God's plans are not hindered in an unbelieving "place" where there is "no fear of God." Our part is to trust God's plans and rest in them. It is God's part to work out the details and what that may mean.
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