阅读经文 

在《创世记》十二章中，我们已经看到亚伯拉罕怎样服从神的呼召、踏上了通往迦南地的漫长旅程了。他走遍这片地土，沿途数次在不同地方停下来筑坛敬拜主。今天我们看到的段落讲到那地正遭遇饥荒，亚伯拉罕于是下埃及去，在那里寄居了一段时间。

我们同样也会遇到逆境和危机。我们信神的话并凭着信心上路，然而我们的希望和计划有时会因重大的损失而破灭。一个就业机会可能化为泡影，婚姻或许会触礁，侍奉可能会挫折。我们或者也会面临经济或身体健康的危机。尽管我们乐意顺服跟随神，有时我们感到整个世界都似乎彻底崩溃了。

亚伯拉罕所经历的饥荒，或许是神对他信心的一个考验。可惜这一次亚伯拉罕没有坚定信靠这位带领他安全抵达迦南地的神，他反而逃难到埃及去。他很快便要为那个决定付上昂贵的代价了。

我们跟随神对我们一生的呼召，并不意味着凡事都必定一帆风顺。神往往容许困难临到我们，藉此来拓展和增强我们的信心。我们不要怀疑神或怀疑我们跟随祂的决定，我们反而需要凭信心牢牢抓紧祂，并且深信无论神带领我们往何处去，祂必定供应我们的一切需要。

Earlier in Genesis 12 we saw how Abraham obeyed God's call, setting out on a long journey that brought him to the land of Canaan. Then he traveled throughout the land, stopping here and there to build an altar to worship the Lord. Now we have learned that a famine struck the land, so Abraham went to Egypt and lived there for a while.

We can experience downturns and crisis situations too. We take God at his word and step out in faith. But then our hopes and plans might be dashed by a significant loss. A job opportunity can fall through, a marriage can fail, a ministry can falter. We can face a financial or physical health crisis. Though we might be obediently following God, it can seem as if our whole world is turning upside down.

The famine Abraham experienced was likely a test of his faith. But instead of trusting in God, who had brought him safely to Canaan, Abraham fled to Egypt. And that decision soon cost him dearly.
Just because we follow God's call in our lives, that doesn't mean things will always go smoothly.

God often allows trouble to come our way in order to stretch and strengthen our faith. Rather than second-guessing God or our decision to follow him, we need to hold on to the Lord in faith, believing that where God guides, he also provides.