When God Says “No” to Plan B
Have you ever reached for your backup plan before seeking God's direction? I certainly have. It's a struggle as old as faith itself, and we see it vividly illustrated in the lives of the patriarchs.
When famine struck Canaan, Abraham, the father of faith, immediately packed for Egypt. No prayer. No seeking God's counsel. Just a practical solution to a pressing problem: "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land" (Genesis 12:10).
Egypt, with its Nile-watered fields and abundant storehouses, represented a visible solution. But Abraham's self-directed detour led to compromise. Fearing for his life, he instructed Sarah: "Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee" (Genesis 12:13).
The result? Abraham departed Egypt under the rebuke of a pagan king who recognized his deception.
A generation later, Isaac faced the same test. Famine again, same promised land. Isaac instinctively began the same journey toward Egypt. But this time, God intervened with crystal clarity: "And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of" (Genesis 26:2).
Despite this direct command, Isaac still defaulted to his father's fearful pattern. Though he remained in Gerar rather than Egypt, he repeated the same lie about his wife Rebekah, exposing the depth of our human tendency to rely on cleverness rather than covenant.
But then came Jacob, the trickster, the schemer, the man who had manipulated his way through life. When famine struck in his generation, something remarkable happened.
Despite Joseph's invitation to Egypt, Jacob hesitated. At Beersheba the very edge of the promised land he stopped and "offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac" (Genesis 46:1). The man who had spent a lifetime relying on his wits finally paused to seek God's direction.
God's response transformed everything: "Fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again" (Genesis 46:3-4).
What makes the difference between a self-directed detour and a divinely directed journey? Jacob shows us three crucial elements:
First, he recognized the danger. Jacob knew family history. Egypt had been a place of compromise for his forefathers.
Second, he paused for divine confirmation. Before crossing the boundary, he offered sacrifices, surrendering his own wisdom.
Third, he waited for specific direction. Only after God's clear "green light" did he proceed.
Each of us faces "famines" that tempt us toward our own Egypt: that quick solution, that path of self-reliance that promises relief without requiring faith. It might be taking financial shortcuts when bills mount, abandoning difficult relationships when conflict arises, or compromising principles when pressure builds.
The question isn't whether we'll face famine, but how we'll respond when it comes. Will we race to Egypt, relying on our own wisdom? Or will we have our Beersheba moment, stopping at the threshold to ask, "Lord, is this Your way or my escape route?"
True security is never found in our clever solutions but in the presence of God who promises, "I will go down with thee." When God directs the journey, even Egypt can become the place of His provision.