Leaving things in God's hands when they could be firmly in your own

 This week's verses are Genesis 13:5-18:

Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. But the land could not support them while they were living side by side. Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live alongside one another. So there were quarrels between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.)

Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

Lot looked up and saw the whole region of the Jordan. He noticed that all of it was well watered (this was before the Lord obliterated Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, all the way to Zoar. Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain and pitched his tents next to Sodom. (Now the people of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.)

After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. Get up and walk throughout the land, for I will give it to you.”

So Abram moved his tents and went to live by the oaks of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

 These verses are as solid a testament of Abraham's faith as any of the words concerning the wait for a son. Despite being wealthy, he and his nephew ran into a resource shortage and it was causing their employees to get in fights. It was clear  that they were both too big to fit in the same land.

But the thing is, God promised that land to Abraham. And an uncle always outranked his nephew in those days. He could have just told Lot to get lost. He could have cast Lot (ha ha) out of the region. He could even have just sent him back to his father.

But he doesn't. Instead he invites Lot to stay, and divide the land up between them. And he doesn't even insist on his right to pick which half once it is divided. He leaves it in Lot's hand, and he accepts the decision when Lot picks what is by far the best portion of the land.

Who does this? Who is so trusting of God's ability to provide that he gives away what he has and doesn't worry about it? I won't even share my french fries with people when I'm hungry, and here Abram is turning his back on his hard-earned territory. But if he's turning his back on his wealth, he's turning his front towards God, and God rewards him.

In the end, God gives it all to him, his portion and Lot's portion. Lot falls into such trouble that Abraham later has to do a kind of special forces hostage rescue with elite angelic warriors. If he had held onto the blessing, would he have been so blessed? If he was that selfish would he have avoided becoming a weak, compromised city boy like Lot did?

The story of being ready to sacrifice Isaac is the most famous story of Abraham's faith, but there are several cases. Read his story and see if you can find the other ones.

So once Abraham was told things would work out, he moved his tents to a place where he could set up an altar to God.

Think of Abraham's example this week and see if you are as generous and non-attached in your pursuit of your faith that God will provide for your needs. Would you just let things ride when you have the power to guarantee a more favorable outcome? And when God comes to you and comforts you, do you move to a place where you can worship him?