The famine was getting worse and Abraham began to drift away from his altar. Take a hard look at him, because Abraham is you and me at one moment or another of our Christian walk. You say, “I have lost something: my passion for prayer, my peace, my worship, my joy, my zeal for His house, my kindness, my generosity, my capacity to be moved by the needs of the people around me or afar.” Abraham had lost his altar because there was a famine.
What is the famine? The famine is a series of hard knocks, one hurt after another. It is when we go through seasons with strings of disappointments, and we bravely try to go on as if we are okay. Abraham had lost his objective, his vision. Listen to him as he pondered the thought “that I may be well, that I may be left alone, that my life might be spared” (see Genesis 12:10-13). He was called to be a blessing to others, but he had lost his very purpose.
Abraham was dying slowly in the grips of a spiritual famine. He was losing not only his fervor and purpose, but also his favor and his faith. The man who had been called to be a source of blessing began to tragically forsake what had made him great: the very faith that had brought the favor of God on him and through him to touch and bless others.
“And Pharaoh’s house was struck with a plague because of Abraham and Sarah. Pharaoh said, ‘Why have you lied and brought this plague on my house?’” (Genesis 12:17-18). Abraham was no longer a source of joy and respect; in fact, he had become someone who brought shame and pain. He had completely lost his faith and trust in God.
Come closer, take a look at him. He was tormented, afraid, and his spiritual heritage was in danger. As we kneel beside him, we realize why he was considered to be the father of faith. He wasn’t a model because he was spotless and sinless, or because his life was an uninterrupted succession of exploits, wisdom and immaculate perfection. The Bible doesn’t treat his sin lightly or justify him in any way. However, he has a message for us all simply because he knew how to rebuild his altar and find God again. “Abraham came back to the place where he had built an altar before and he called on the name of the Lord” (see Genesis 13:3-4).
Claude Houde, lead pastor of Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church) in Montreal, Canada, is a frequent speaker at the Expect Church Leadership Conferences conducted by World Challenge throughout the world. Under his leadership New Life Church has grown from a handful of people to more than 3500 in a part of Canada with few successful Protestant churches.