The Passenger in The Covenant
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee – Gen 12:1
When Abraham left for the land of Canaan in obedience to the commandment of God, he took a passenger along with him: Lot. In Canaan, both of them began to prosper, and soon the land was not big enough to accommodate their combined possessions. Not long, the servants started engaging in fights (Gen 13:7).
Abraham had never fully obeyed God in leaving his kindred. And because he held on to Lot, God started disciplining him. He later realized that the promise was meant for him alone and did not include Lot. Upon this realization, he showed his nephew the whole land and offered him his choice. He never tried to keep the land to himself by selfish methods. He never held on to the land for personal reasons. The land was God’s, not his.
The important lesson here is for us to trust God, and convince ourselves that He would keep for us what He gives. And we must never seek to possess it by worldly means. Living in the world is not an excuse to be worldly in our deeds. We must come to the point in our lives where we leave everything into God’s hand.
Lot’s decision to choose the richest portion ought to have annoyed Abraham. It is enough for him to resent Lot forever, but he let him have it without any grudge. He let Lot have the portion he chose unconditionally. When he later learnt that Lot has been taken captive by Cherdorlaomer , at the risk of his own life he rushed out to rescue him the very moment he heard the news (Gen 14:14).
Those who know God do not need to protect their rights. Because we believe and trust in Him, we need to bear the cross daily and rely upon Him for the outcome. At this juncture, because of Abraham’s obedience and self-restraint, God spoke to him (Gen 13:14 – 17).
As you learn to surrender all and depend upon God for sustenance and provision, He will speak to that challenge of yours.
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