And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” (Gen 12,11-13)

Something fundamental had changed on the outside - there was a drought and the country had stopped producing crops. But no matter how external circumstances changed, Abram was surprised to find that his inward feelings were quite different from years ago. He now had a special peace, as if the external crisis has not affected him as much as those around who did not know God. At times, he was even tempted to just let things go and do nothing - after all, his new God brought him here and does not send him away. So is it right to leave? But doing nothing is completely illogical, it is a sheer folly. The pastures are devastated and there is little hope of restoration. Everyone around sees it in the same way and reassures him - now we need to leave, at least for a while.

But he noticed that at the moment he finally decided to leave, his inward peace left him. He couldn't explain it. After all, when he used to decide on something after mature consideration, it always worked exactly the opposite: he had acquired the inner room as soon as the matter was finally "decided". But now...

Once a person leaves the place where God has put him - and unlike with Abram, in the New Testament era it is primarily a spiritual place - he loses his inward strength. The compass is relentlessly accurate. This is the message of Jn 15:4 -  if a person remains in Christ, he has the strength to resist, if he leaves this soil in his heart, he withers inwardly.

It is important to note that Abram experienced a loss of peace not only in Egypt, but still in the Promised Land. He instructs Sarah before he enters Egypt to pretend to be his sister. He was afraid they would kill him because of her. But the same cause for concern - jealousy of a beautiful foreign woman - nevertheless existed all the time among the Canaanites as well! However, as long as Abram remained in God's line, he had inner strength to resist, despite the circumstances. Once he leaves it, he loses this power - and it happens inside him before the feared circumstances occur. In fact, it is independent of them, it is far more a question of what is happening in his heart and relationship with God.

What a wonderful thing is this "Shalom" - the peace of God with which God accompanies us on his journeys! It often manifests itself inside our hearts as if illogically, incomprehensibly, and often in contrast to what is happening around. How good it is to not leave the place where we experience it in fullness and not change it for other place where we lose it.