1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” ~ Genesis 20:1-7
Abimelech wasn’t a Jew. He wasn’t a Hebrew. He wasn’t one of God’s chosen people, yet God kept him from sinning. God doesn’t show partiality. He doesn’t give a chance to one and take a chance away from another. God gives each and every one of us the chance to do what is right. And when our heart is pure, and desires aren’t bent on evil, God honors that and nudges us in the direction of holiness so that we don’t corrupt ourselves.
If our desires are for evil, then evil will follow us. If our desires are for good, then good will follow us. The desires of our heart are what lead us to our final destination, for every action we commit comes from our the desires of our heart. So, guard your heart that God might find you seeking Him and not the world. So, that when trials and tribulations come your way, your heart might not be easily swayed towards vengeance or any other kind of evil.
God promised that He would write His word on our hearts that we might not sin against Him. The only way we can do that is if we actually know what His word says. We have to spend time in His word. We have to spend time in His presence, seeking wisdom and understanding.
Don’t be fooled by the lie that you don’t need the Bible to know who God is because if the Bible wasn’t written, you wouldn’t know of Him at all. The only reason we know God is because of our Bible. So, spend time in His word and learn who He is. Memorize passages for times of trial and tribulation. Prepare your heart for war.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Guard Your Heart.