Skip to main content

Get Out of God’s Way

               When reading the Bible, it is important to pay attention to the small details of the stories.  Often, those details are the point. 
                For example, in Genesis 13 Abram (or “Abraham” as he is more well known) and his nephew Lot have a problem.  Their flocks and herds have become so large that the land cannot support both of them, so Abram comes up with a plan.
                He said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine… 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” (verses 8-9).
                Did you catch the small, but very important detail?  If you miss it, then you will miss a big part of the lesson and example of Abram.
                Abram allowed Lot to choose the land that he wanted.
                That detail is important because that is not the normal procedure.  Abram is the oldest, therefore, the choice should have been his.  Instead, he defers to his nephew. 
                Abram does this because he has learned that God is looking after him and that he does not have to control every aspect of his life. In fact, his entire life is an example of that principle.  
When we meet Abram, God tells him to leave his home, but he does not tell him exactly where he is going.  Abram goes anyway (Genesis 12:1-3).  God then leads him through the Promised Land, down to Egypt and back to the Promised land. None of this is Abram’s choice.  He is simply following God’s instructions and doing what he is told to do.  Therefore, it makes perfect sense that he would give over to Lot when choosing where they were going to live.  By letting Lot choose, he is actually trusting that God will continue to look after him and give him what he needs.
                I need more of that kind of faith.  I need to worry less and trust more.  If I really believed that God was watching over me and I did not have to control everything, I think I would have a happier and more peaceful life.
                Who knows what God might do in us, through us and around us if we would just get out of his way? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Article: Grace Changes Everything

               A young man broke into a business and did $5000 damage. As part of his Restorative Justice sentence, he was required to meet with my friend Garth.   Garth believes in making apologies and restitution.   It took several months, but Garth finally convinced the young man that these were necessary steps, so he tried to arrange a meeting with the business owner.                The business owner wanted nothing to do with this situation.   He was angry and wanted a more severe form of justice.   Eventually, however, he agreed to meet the young man to hear what he had to say.                  The young man looked the business owner in the eye an...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: We need a Better Scorecard

                   “Is that a Sun Ice?”                “Excuse me,” I said.                My friend pointed to my new ski jacket and asked again, “Is that a Sun Ice?”                It was 1991 and Sun Ice was the big name in ski wear at the time.   “No” I replied, “I can’t afford one of those”.                “Oh” he said as he lost interest and then just walked away.                I had not seen this friend in more than a year and, sadly, his first ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: Surprised by God

                 We would be shocked if we could hear the Bible for the first time again.   On every page, something unexpected happens.   The only reason we are not surprised is that the stories are so familiar to us.   Think about some of the unexpected interactions that God has had with his people.                For example, every culture has stories about a creator, but none imagined that God would become part of the creation.   That the creator would lower himself and become human is surprising, to say the least.                Not only did he become one of us, but he also came as a baby.   A tiny, helpless, baby!   If I wer...
Post a Comment
Read more