In an hour things become fragile in this world. As we see these things come upon us, but we should learn to trust and stay put under God’s wings. We need not fear as God is always with His children. Jesus said we are in this world, but we do not belong to this world. Our lives must be covered with the blood of Christ. Like the Passover covering -- it meant that when the assault came, it would Passover their lives.

1 Sam.12:21-22, “And turn not aside: for then should you go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name's sake: because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people,” Now look at Is. 54:10, “ For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, says the LORD that has mercy on you.”

God’s blessings are upon us. I have shared about the hedge of God’s blessings. Look at the life of Job. He had a hedge around him until it was taken away, but it was given again. God has a hedge around us. In that hedge He will keep our hearts and souls, and also the things that we have. His hedge is a place we must learn to stay and not move out of. Man’s heart is prone to make changes. but God has a hedge. He says stay under the hedge, and I will protect you. In the night of the Passover the people were told to stay inside for their protection.

We must learn in times of difficulty (these do pass) that we should not fear. What should we do? Look in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord, with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” Sometimes we think God is up there, but we have to make decisions here on earth. This is not true. You are to trust in God and not lean on your understanding. Look at the world, there are wise men, but now they have big holes in their pockets. If we try to lean on our own understanding, we find we are truly fragile…like our economy. I have been through times of panic in other countries. Now it has come home here. We must not lean on our own understanding; we must lean on God. In verse 6 we read, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths….fear the Lord and depart from evil and it shall be health to your body and strength to your bones.”

I want to talk about how the Lord plagued Pharaoh with all His plagues. The Lord brought plagues to Pharaoh before the time of Moses. Turn to Genesis 12.These plagues came at the time the Pharaoh met Abraham. This story is about what to do in times of trouble and financial collapse. There was a famine in the land so Abraham went down to Egypt, This has happened several times in history. God called Abraham to follow Him. But there came a time when famine came. After years of trusting God, Abraham left when he was faced with famine and financial troubles. His had no grass for his sheep. Like we are facing a lack of gas today. But after trusting God for so long, Abraham turned to his own understanding. He was in a famine, and he took things in his own hands and went to Egypt. He left the place where God had placed him. He felt he would be better off if he went on his own way. In Is. 31:1 we read, “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help;… but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! “ When you panic and try to find your way out of a problem, and go to Egypt. In Is. 30:2 we read, “ They that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! These people flee without asking God.” Are you trying to fix your own problem without asking God due to your confusion?

After originally trusting God and finding Him faithful and having God’s blessings, Abraham experienced fear and panic. He tired to take care of his own problems. He had trusted and known that God was faithful. Why now did he not trust? If troubles come, is God less trustful? Does God not know what to do? God does know what to do in times of trouble. Abraham panicked! Even though for 15 years he had trusted in God and received inheritance from his father, he went down into Egypt. When he began to experience the famine, Abraham panicked. It was the first time he did not know what to do, so he left. His riches depended on his sheep. Famine meant no grass and the dying off of his sheep.

During the famine, Abraham trusted in his own understanding. He tried to avoid problems. He did not trust in God. Fear caused him to leave the land where God had called him and go to another land. God has given you a land. Stay in that land. We might not like the ark God has given us, but it has been designed as a place of safety. God has given you a place where He will shelter you. The children of Israel had to stay in the place of safety during the Passover.

Abraham left the place of protection and went down to Egypt. He made the wrong decision and paid the price. Problems were to come. When Jacob was in the famine, he did not want to leave in the famine. He knew what had happened to his grandfather during his trip to Egypt. His sons implored him to go down to Egypt. Only when he remember the Word of God that they would go to Egypt and be there 400 years, did he finally go. He went down to Egypt with trepidation; he only went when he knew what God had said the people would go.

What do you do when a problem arises? Our natural reaction is to get away from the problem. We do not wan to face the problems; however, we must confront them. We do not try to find the answer in the midst of the problem. If you are where God put you, then stay put. Do not run away form the place of refuge where God had put you. Wait on Him. Do not trust your natural instincts; they get you in trouble. God knows what to do and will protect you. Do not trust in your own understanding and instincts . Remember Prov. 3, “Do not be wise in your own eyes.”

Abraham faced famine and uncertainty, or security by going to Egypt. Moses faced a choice 450 years later, and he chose to suffer the affliction of the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Look how well they had learned the lesson of Abraham…esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the riches of Egypt.

David said in Ps. 84:10, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” He also said in Ps. 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. “ You may say you are not righteous, but if you believe in Christ and have pleaded for the forgiveness of your sins through Jesus’ blood, you are clothed in His righteousness. It is the righteousness of Jesus that protects us.

Abraham chose to leave where he had been called and to go to another land where he was not called without asking God. It was a time of plenty for Egypt. The Bible says, “Woe to those who go to Egypt.” If God sends you as he did the Israelites for 400 years, then go.

Abraham was not planning on staying there; it was to be a temporary habitation In Gen 12:10, we see he was going to come back to the land of promise. He went until the famine was over, but he left the protections of God of being in God’s will. He left the road as he was pressured by the circumstances. His faith faltered. There was a price on his side trip of not trusting God. He almost lost his family, his wife and his life. The most precious treasure was his wife as there was a promise that he would have a son with her. Isaac was his calling, his vision, and his reason for leaving Ur. Isaac could only be born through Sarah. Ishmael came through Hagar and that brought trouble to the world.

When his wife was taken from him, Abraham lost the reason for his life. God will keep you. If you try to keep your self, you will lose your life. In Is. 55:8 we read, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” Abraham came to Egypt and he had beautiful baggage -- his wife Sarah. In Gen 12:14 ff, we read, “And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake…”

Sarah was beautiful in the eyes of the Egyptians. I know that women do not like to talk about their age. In the scriptures, the age of women is not revealed but they did reveal Sarah’s age. When this happened she was 65 years old. She was 90 when she had Isaac. At 65 she was beautiful. The Egyptian wives were ugly and faded early. The Egyptians said, “Wow!”. Very soon the custom official told about Sarah and it got to the Pharaoh. Abraham was called before Pharaoh.

He asked who Sarah was and Abraham said Sarah was his sister. He said his wife was his sister. He had to tell a “sort of” lie.

Finally, Abraham realized that he sold his wife and his soul….the reason for living was to have a son with her. In his panic, he had left the land of blessing, but he had lost the most precious treasure…it was all God had given him. If you gain the world and lose your soul, what is it worth? Finally he came to his sense and asked what had he done. He knew it would have been better to stay in the famine. He had given up the place of protection; he had changed it and lost his wife and his promise. I am sure that knowing God as I do, Abraham had an encounter there when he had the money before him.

Abraham repented. What could he do? The evil was done. What could he do. He cried out to God and asked God to give him back his wife. Something changed with him. He knew he would rather be poor in God than rich in hell.

God had mercy!  In verse 17 we read, “And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarah Abram's wife.” God protected the womb of Sarah in spite of Abraham’s decision. Great plaques came on the house of Pharaoh. God helped Pharaoh trace his errors back to Abraham; He helped him find out that Sarah was Abraham‘s wife. God kept Pharaoh from touching Sarah. So we reading in verse 18, “…. Pharaoh called Abram, and said, ‘What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?’ 19 Why did you say, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold your wife, take her, and go you way.’”

Abraham was kicked out of Egypt and back into famine. Sometimes God sends us back to famine. God may keep you there and prosper you there. He will cause you to prosper. They were sent out of Egypt and the armies followed him to the border to make sure Abraham did not sneak back. They went back into the famine.

God had to speak to Abraham through failure. That is how God has to speak at times. The nice thing is that not too long -- in the next chapter -- you see Abraham when he is Canaan in the midst of famine. In chapter 2:13 we see that he was rich in cattle, silver and gold. He found riches in famine. He had feared he would lose everything in the famine, but he had his riches. Do not trust in your own understanding.

All things work together for good if you love the Lord and trust in Him. Abraham went back into the desert. He trusted in God to work things out. We do not know how God does it. He keeps His people. I have been in the desert, but it is where I have met God. It is a place called Sinai, but God lives there. God is with us and He will always be with us. The world had gone through many famines and times of plenty. God is always there. Trust him with all you’re your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.