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

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants.  Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do.  Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most.  In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks.  However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like!  Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites.  That is not true.  They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: Thanksgiving in Real Time

                    Thanksgiving weekend means that many of us will spend time together with family and friends, eat a lot of food and think about what we are thankful for in our lives.   Unfortunately, after that, most will go back to their normal routines and leave thankfulness behind.                   What would happen if thanksgiving were part of our everyday life, rather than something we focused on a few times per year?   Where would we even start?                 According to Philippians 1:18-26, the apostle Paul remained joyful and thankful, even while imprisoned for his faith, by holding on to three important practic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Do You See the Angel?

          In the gospels, the story of Jesus’ birth is preceded by the prediction of the birth of “John the Baptist”.              John’s father, Zechariah, was a priest at the temple in Jerusalem.   One day, while he was burning incense to God, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John” (Luke 1:13).               This was surprising news to Zechariah and so he asks, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years” (verse 18).   That is a logical question, right?   I mean, he is asking for a sign so that he can believe something that seems quite unbelievable.   Who would fault him for that?        ...
Post a Comment
Read more