2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. 3 He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. 5 Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.” 10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. 11 So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. 16 I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. 16 I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
"Abram called upon the name of the Lord", and I'm going to assume that they talked about the issues at hand, and then the Lord guided him through the tricky negotiations between him and Lot. This is very basic, practical stuff in life, but when there is an all-knowing, loving God who wants to help guide us towards having a better life, why would we not want to tap into that resource, all the time, for everything???!!!
Going separate ways can be difficult, but it is sometimes the answer, depending on the situations and circumstances. And regarding how one should go separate ways, can vary, depending on the situation. Here again, we can assume that God gave Abram directions on how to do that... by letting Lot decide. Even when God tells us what we should do or not do, and it doesn't make sense to us, we have to trust that He knows what He is talking about!
It probably felt a little tense, letting Lot pick which land he wanted. You know the deal. You let someone pick something first, while you step aside with your eyes focused on the thing that you really want and say in your head, "Don't pick that one, don't pick that..." Abram might have even started doubting this process and could only hope for the best. But God absolutely knew which land Lot was going to pick, and that was well within His plan. His plan all along involved Canaan, so throughout the Old Testament, we see how the plan unfolds brilliantly - even though and even when God's children make huge mistakes.
Meanwhile, classic human nature, Lot picked the very best-looking land. And, why not? But Lot was also lured into a city that was evil, and clearly against the Lord. You would think that after living with Abram, and seeing how God was guiding and providing for him, that he would want that for his life as well. But we sadly see this so often, for example, when kids move out of a Christian home, and start to wonder if they have been missing out, then begin to seek out other things that look "better" to them. Something that might seem like freedom and fun, will most often be a downfall and a dark pit of despair. More on that in the coming chapters!
Meanwhile, Abram listened to the Lord and did what he was told. As well - and again - Abram thanked the Lord even before seeing any final results! But God had already helped him settle the friction he had with Lot and the herdsmen. A lot of us might not know how stressful something like that can be, unless you live with a big family in a small house, or if you know someone who has a management role. So often, it's the little things that make a big difference in one's life. And God's got this! Just be thankful, ask Him for His help, and trust Him do His thing!
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