via TJC
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, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 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. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”
Genesis 13:14-17 ESV
The more I study the remarkable, divinely inspired text that is the Holy Bible, the more my eyes are opened to how saturated Scripture is with dramatic irony. Today I would like us to hone in on the story of two brothers-in-law—and what it teaches us about humbly accepting God’s blessing in our lives and not being deceived by the things that are not eternal.
In Genesis 13, Abram and Lot were in need of a new home. The men are faced with quite the dilemma—neither the eastern nor western lands could sustain their combined families and flocks. Abram gives Lot first pick of the lands, and without any hesitation, Lot picks the fertile land of the Jordan Valley in the east. This leaves Abram with the dry land of Canaan in the west. If the story had ended here, you could conclude that Abram had gotten the short end of the stick. We know that God sees more deeply than the surface and in a twist, God decides to bless Abram’s land, not Lot’s. He promises to multiply Abram’s descendants so they are as numerous as the grains of sand that lay before him. Not only that but God’s divine judgment lays waste to the Lot’s fertile land due to the immense sins of his neighbors in Sodom and Gomorrah leaving Lot’s clan homeless and his wife feeling pretty salty (pardon the bad pun). Meanwhile, Abram’s new homeland becomes the promised land, the land of God’s chosen nation, Israel.
Brothers, how often you fall into the same trap Lot did, listening to the world as it says you are blessed when you choose comfort and define yourself with material wealth. Remember that it is not a sin to have but it is a sin to be more attached to your things than to your Father. Unfortunately entertainment and technology make it easy to forget to rely on God and also sow discontent in your soul by providing an infinite number of ways to compare your life to those around you. In reality, God measures success differently. In His economy, the true sign of a blessed life is faithfulness and humility, being content to live with Him regardless of your financial, relational, career, ethnic, or social status. He calls you to stop comparing yourself to others and gratefully submit to His wisdom and provision, acknowledging that He knows what you truly need, so you too can be blessed.
Daily Battle Order:
Spend time in prayer today reflecting on God’s unmerited favor in your life. Thank God for what you have and put aside any envious tendencies asking for him to show you what He values around you.
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