In Genesis 13, there is a short story where Abraham and his nephew, Lot, are living in the same general area in the Negev but the population of their families and herds become so great, a separation is necessitated. The land they are jointly living on becomes unable to support them. Quarreling was breaking out between their herdsmen over water and grass resources. So, Abraham proposes a solution: they would split up and go separate ways in the land.
Abraham offers Lot the first choice of the land. If Lot were to choose to the left, Abraham would go right.
Lot looked out over the land. He saw the mountains in one direction and the well-watered, Jordan valley in the other. The Jordan Valley looked enticing - like the Lord's garden and the Land of Egypt - so he chose the entire valley for himself.
Lot chose, what appeared on the surface, the better land. It had cities. It had water. The land was flat and easily traversed. However, living in this valley were some of the wickedest people alive at that time. He chose the attractive but sinful.
Abraham, on the other hand, chose not a land. He actually decided to take what came. In reality, his choice was not land or a place but his choice was to be obedient to God. Lot chose a great looking place. Abraham chose God.
The real promise and reward is never in a thing, a place or a possession. No matter what the world has to offer. No matter what seems to us to satisfy. Nothing can ever take the place of choosing God. In the Old Testament, God's true blessing to Israel was not the promised land. It was God Himself. He called them, set them apart and created them to be a special people for Himself. Their true reward was Him, not His gifts and provisions.
I am often tempted to choose the blessings instead of the Blesser. I often choose the things seen rather than the things unseen. I am often tempted to choose the material and not the Maker.
May we, like Abraham, have eyes of faith and choose the thing that really matters - God and our obedience to Him. You see, Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness.
May we choose today not based on appearance but on faith in the One True thing that really matters...
Abraham offers Lot the first choice of the land. If Lot were to choose to the left, Abraham would go right.
Lot looked out over the land. He saw the mountains in one direction and the well-watered, Jordan valley in the other. The Jordan Valley looked enticing - like the Lord's garden and the Land of Egypt - so he chose the entire valley for himself.
Lot chose, what appeared on the surface, the better land. It had cities. It had water. The land was flat and easily traversed. However, living in this valley were some of the wickedest people alive at that time. He chose the attractive but sinful.
Abraham, on the other hand, chose not a land. He actually decided to take what came. In reality, his choice was not land or a place but his choice was to be obedient to God. Lot chose a great looking place. Abraham chose God.
The real promise and reward is never in a thing, a place or a possession. No matter what the world has to offer. No matter what seems to us to satisfy. Nothing can ever take the place of choosing God. In the Old Testament, God's true blessing to Israel was not the promised land. It was God Himself. He called them, set them apart and created them to be a special people for Himself. Their true reward was Him, not His gifts and provisions.
I am often tempted to choose the blessings instead of the Blesser. I often choose the things seen rather than the things unseen. I am often tempted to choose the material and not the Maker.
May we, like Abraham, have eyes of faith and choose the thing that really matters - God and our obedience to Him. You see, Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness.
May we choose today not based on appearance but on faith in the One True thing that really matters...
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