Walk by Faith; Not By Sight
Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. . . .
Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together . . . And quarreling arose between Abram's herders and Lot's. . . . So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me . . . for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. . . . So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company . . .
The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him . . . Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you. So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron . . . There he built an altar to the LORD. Genesis 13:2-18
Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together . . . And quarreling arose between Abram's herders and Lot's. . . . So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me . . . for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. . . . So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company . . .
The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him . . . Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you. So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron . . . There he built an altar to the LORD. Genesis 13:2-18
The call of Abram came with the promise of a blessing. God kept his promise and lavished Abram with great blessings, including livestock, silver, and gold. Abram's nephew, Lot, benefited and became wealthy as well, but quarreling arose between the two men because the land was not big enough to support them. It was time to part company and Abram gave Lot the right to choose first. Lot chose the most fertile land and they parted company.
I find two things worth pondering over:
First: Abram's handling of the situation was rather humbling and fascinating. He was the senior of the two men but he humbled himself and gave Lot the opportunity to choose first.
Abram did not complain that Lot had chosen the most fertile looking land. He simply accepted what was left and pitched his tents. Abram was walking by faith and not by sight. He knew that God had promised to bless him so the least of his worries was to quarrel over land.
Second: It is interesting that God waited until Lot had departed before releasing the entire land as a blessing to Abram. Sometimes, God will not release our full blessings to us until every form of distraction has been removed from our lives. Obviously, Lot and the quarrel over possessions had become a distraction and God had to deal with that. Sometimes, God removes people from our lives to help us refocus on our destiny and calling.
As you wait on the LORD for the release of His full blessings, carefully examine your surroundings for any possible distractions. Are there any "Lots" or material things that seem to be distracting you? Until you allow God to remove those distractions, your full blessings might be delayed. Ask God to remove them and accept the result by faith. That is the path to possessing your full blessings.
I find two things worth pondering over:
First: Abram's handling of the situation was rather humbling and fascinating. He was the senior of the two men but he humbled himself and gave Lot the opportunity to choose first.
Abram did not complain that Lot had chosen the most fertile looking land. He simply accepted what was left and pitched his tents. Abram was walking by faith and not by sight. He knew that God had promised to bless him so the least of his worries was to quarrel over land.
Second: It is interesting that God waited until Lot had departed before releasing the entire land as a blessing to Abram. Sometimes, God will not release our full blessings to us until every form of distraction has been removed from our lives. Obviously, Lot and the quarrel over possessions had become a distraction and God had to deal with that. Sometimes, God removes people from our lives to help us refocus on our destiny and calling.
As you wait on the LORD for the release of His full blessings, carefully examine your surroundings for any possible distractions. Are there any "Lots" or material things that seem to be distracting you? Until you allow God to remove those distractions, your full blessings might be delayed. Ask God to remove them and accept the result by faith. That is the path to possessing your full blessings.
Prayer: Father, my greatest desire is to walk in the fullness of your blessings. Please remove every form of distraction from my life so that I can focus on you and my destiny. Amen.