Rejoice:

Read:

13 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. ² Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

³ From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier⁴ and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

I love this last verse. As Abram has needed to shift and do something new he sought the Lord. In fact, he went back to where he had last encountered the Lord. I think this is soooo important! We often have life transitions and we assume that we will just happen upon what the Lord wants us to do. However, Abram made an intentional effort to travel back to where he had set up an altar and call upon the Lord! We need to be doing this constantly but even more so when we are transitioning. If we don’t do this we will end up in scenarios that will likely encumber our mission progression. It should be logical: when on mission for God, HE should be directing our transitions. That includes those who have accomplished much.

Abram was wealthy at this point. Usually as we get more successful we are LESS inclined to seek the Lord’s guidance. Abram could have easily, at this point, start directing his own take over of the land. Yet even amidst his great success and power he realized God was the one to lead the way. Don’t let your prosperity, power, or plans keep you from calling on the name of the Lord.

⁵ Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. ⁷ And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

There’s something hidden here in the details, an example for us. See, Abram was the reason Lot was here. Abram was the reason Lot had gained so many riches. Abram was the one who was channeling all of God’s blessings and Lot was simply enjoying the overflow (being blessed by Abram as God had told Abram would happen). However, when a problem arose Abram didn’t boast his position, his power, or his connection to God over Lot. Instead, Abram gave Lot the first choice of what land he would take. He was humble and trusted the provider over the provision. It seems that he knew God was taking care of him so it didn’t matter what land he was going to get because ALL of it would be his eventually and GOD would provide for him no matter what the land was like.

We need to stop finding personal value, or prestige from the things we have been provided. As Abram, we should be able to let go of things easily AND not thing of ourselves more valuable than others simply because of what we have. The amount of blessings we have received are an act of grace in themselves, yet we so often start building up ourselves in our minds because of it. As churches grow they feel like they are somehow better than other churches. As ministries expand they are less and less inclined to connect with other, smaller ministries. In fact, the assumption would be that if a larger ministry were connecting with a smaller one the larger one HAS to take over right? If you spend just a moment evaluating yourself you will find that you’ve got this mindset somewhere. Pray for the Lord to help you to see the areas where you are trusting the provision over the provider.

Respond:

God I know there are things I have placed value in. I know there are areas where I have developed identity and personal prestige in the things You have given me. Show me those places. Show me where I am giving praises to gifts over You. Show me where my heart is inclined to run! I want more of You, I want to find value in You, identity in You alone! Purify my heart. Amen.

Relate:

Perhaps you have found yourself ASSUMING you were more presigious than someone simply because of what you have. Even if you haven’t TOLD the person/people, it will be humbling to admit it. They likely see it and experience it. Maybe you do this with children? Perhaps it isn’t an amount of items but it’s amount of years you’ve attained. Your value is based ONLY in God’s grace and mercy. We need to make everyone aware of that. Nothing within me, nothing within you, nothing is worth anything aside from our connection to Christ. Our gifts are from and for Him. Our life, it was gifted to us by His blood. Nothing you have, that is of worth, can be truly valuable without Him.