 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.
2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. 8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.[a] 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. 14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. Meditation In times of uncertainty we feel comfortable with a big stack of supplies, prepared for a worst-case scenario. But what if our most stable hope is more abundant than every Wal Mart, HEB, Kroger, Whole Foods, and Grand Lucky shelf combined, and more reliable than any stack of supplies? Today’s chapter shows a picture of “walking by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) The abundance of Abram and Lot’s possessions necessitated division. (1-7) Abram was free to offer first choice of land to Lot because Abram was looking to a Heavenly city (Hebrews 11:8-16) with a vertical perspective, demonstrated by building an alter to call on the name of the Lord. (4) Walking by faith means we do not need to control people or circumstances- God is in control and offers a Heavenly hope. Lot “lifted his eyes” (10) and he saw the lush Jordan valley. Abram was told by the Lord to “lift up your eyes” (14) and he saw the promise of God (15). Stirred by God’s promise Abram moved his tent, settled in, and worshipped the Lord. All the promises of God are “YES!” in Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:20) To live by faith is to move your feet according to the promises of God, not what our eyes see. We can move from panic to peace when we are planted in the promises of God, living by faith and trusting His faithfulness. Be wise with supplies but look to Jesus alone, the author and perfector of our faith, for your security. Allow your feet to follow the race He has set before you. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Richly Dwelling -Can you be described as a control freak? If so, what does this say about who/ what you trust? How does this season of COVID19 challenge your need to control? -Are your feet moved more by the promises of God or the promises of what you see in the culture around you? -What are two steps you can take in life to walk by faith in the promises of God and not by sight, what you desire? Key verse …“Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. Comments are closed.
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