30 March 2010 Devotion for Today "The Benefit of the Doubt" Genesis 21:22-32

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

9:52 AM

Have you ever given the "benefit of the doubt" to someone in good faith? This is what God desires of us in how we treat others. Its easy to imagine that someone seeks to take advantage of us or to plot our destruction. The imagination is indeed the devil's playground. It can cause us to become paranoid after a while. Sooner or later we have to learn to trust, to some degree, those who live around us. If we don't, we will likely drive ourselves crazy.

 
 

Living in good faith is a demonstration of love. When we trust people, we show that we love them. I don't think we can love someone without trusting them. The two go hand in hand.

We see this with Abraham's covenant with King Abimelech in Genesis 21. In the earlier chapter, Abraham's fears for his safety and lack of trust in the man caused him to lie and pass his wife off as his sister. This nearly caused disaster for the king and all his people. He was instructed by God to trust Abraham and allow him to pray for him. Isn't it refreshing to see this pagan acting more noble and godly than Abraham had been? Abraham had suffered some grievance in this chapter with respect to his wells. Abimelech's men had stolen a well and shown some sort of violence. Abimelech, however, was not aware of this. It seems that these two rivals were also equal in terms of their prosperity, and competing for the same land. Not desiring a war to start, Abraham was instructed by God to make a covenant with Abimelech- a treaty that neither would violate each other's property. In good faith, Abraham gave the benefit of the doubt to Abimelech by paying for his own well by giving the king what the well was worth, even though he himself had dug it. Abimelech had not way to prove whether it was truly his or not. But in good faith, each accepted the other's gestures and they became friends and allies.

 
 

The Scriptures tell us that if possible, we should live at peace with all men. It may not always be possible, but as much as it depends upon us we are instructed to do what is right even if the other party is not inclined to be so- even at the risk of being defrauded. We know that we can trust God for the outcome, because does not all property and even our own lives belong to God? But our trust in our fellow man demonstrates our trust in God as well, knowing that God can be depended upon to do what is right every time.

 
 

May God help you today to give someone the benefit of the doubt and help you stop worry about what that person may or may not do. Release the matter into God's hands and give a demonstration of that faith You have in Him as Abraham did.

 
 

Prayer: Dear Lord, I live in a wicked and violent world, and in a world that seeks to claim some advantage over me. But Lord nothing can come to me except what You allow according to Your Sovereign Will. Father help me to live in that trust by trusting others as I trust You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

 
 

Have a blessed day.