I was reading someone’s social media feeds and noticed that a particular person hadn’t been appearing over the last few months. That person isn’t dead. But they don’t seem to be part of their life anymore. Then I read someone else’s summary of their year 2025, and they openly said they had ‘cut certain people out of their life.’ In both those posts, the world could see their story. Of course, there are many posts, especially at this time of the year. Posts of reflection like the ones I noticed, but also of thankfulness for all that has happened in our lives and those of family and friends. The majority of us lay bare a particular part of our lives to the world; for some, they reveal everything in a cathartic fashion. Whether or not you are a social media activist or follower, all of us are under scrutiny from those around us. George Orwell’s ‘Big Brother’ is understood far more now than in his 1949 published work of 1984, with increased government surveillance and corporate data collection, not to mention the loss of privacy in our digital world. Big Brother is watching you indeed. The world is watching you. This is all the lead-up to a revealing verse in this story of Abraham as a pagan king, and his army commander approaches him with his observation. He had been watching Abraham.
“At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.” 24 Abraham said, “I swear it.” (Genesis 21 v 22-24)
Abraham’s life revealed the work of God, even though he had previously deceived Abimelek by claiming Sarah was his sister. You don’t have to be perfect for people to see the work of God in your life. This pagan king could see the hand of God’s blessing on Abraham’s life.
What will people say about us this year? Not about what we say, but about what they see in our actions, reactions, decisions, and character.
Abimelek wanted a covenant with Abraham because of God. He had this healthy respect for God because of seeing Him in Abraham’s life.
He asks for a reciprocal kindness. Not only for himself. He was asking about the future. He had somehow seen that Abraham’s descendants would be as blessed as Abraham was (he was so close to faith, wasn’t he?).
“God is with you in everything you do” wasn’t based on Abraham’s words but on Abraham’s life. May that be said of all of us in 2026.
Missions Paul 