Good morning and welcome to June 13. Today is a big day, it’s Margie’s birthday. She has the day off and we are going to drive down tonight to feast on fried catfish and hushpuppies with our families. Birthdays are a great time to reflect. Last night after dinner we sat and talked for a bit about her past year and the year that lies before her. Birthdays are also a great time to praise God. As you look back over the past year, you can’t help but see God’s abundant blessings put into context over 365 days. God is good, but don’t wait for your birthday to look around for His blessings, take some time today. Praise Him for His goodness in your life right now.
Today we’re in Genesis chapter 13 which is a narrative about the continued relationship between Abraham and Lot. Recall that Abraham’s dad was Terah and Terah had three sons, Abraham, Nahor and Haran. Haran had a son, Lot, and then died along with Terah, so basically Abraham took his nephew Lot to raise. Lot trailed after Abraham and Abraham took good care of his self-seeking nephew through highs and lows. We come across an interesting moment in their relationship in chapter 13 and it’s interesting because of how Abraham handles it.
Yesterday in chapter 12 we see God call Abraham into His service (great study yesterday, if you missed it please go back and check it out at The5MC.com…it’s titled ”How to Follow God”) Abraham leaves his home and proceeds to follow God. But he strays a bit and ends up fleeing a famine and ends up in Egypt. In Egypt he picks up two things that will burden him later, wealth and Hagar. We’ll see Hagar later but for now we’ll see the burden that possessions can have in our life. In fact, I’ve heard the question posed, “do you own your stuff or does your stuff really own you?”
In Egypt both Abraham and Lot do well for themselves.
“And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.” Gen 13:2
“Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.” Gen 13:5
So both men have a lot of stuff and things are getting pretty crowded in the family tent village. So, check out what happens.
“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.” Gen 13:6-7
So as I'm told people would say in old timey Texas, “this town ain’t big enough for the both of us.” The village was too small for both of them. The strife must have been getting pretty bad because it’s Abraham’s idea that they split. But this is our lesson today, how Abraham handles the split. It’s quite amazing. Amazing in a sense that you would very rarely ever see anything like this today. Look at what Abraham does for his nephew. He gives him first dibs.
“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.” Gen 13:8-9
So Abraham sees the problem and as the elder realizes the impetus is on him to resolve it. Now at this point he could have done just about anything he wanted. He was the elder. He was the wealthiest. He was called by God. GOd gave him the land. He was Lot’s Uncle so he was senior in the family tree. And I also happen to think that Abraham could have beat up Lot (I’m kidding) The point is Abraham is in the driver’s seat here. So out of all those choices what does this man of God do? He gives Lot first dibs. Look out upon all the lands and you pick first. And whatever you pick, I will take what is leftover. Now folks, you might read this and somewhat discount it, but I want you to really bring this home. Make it personal.
Can you imagine any business deal going down like this today? Can you even imagine any families treating each other this way today? You know it always breaks my heart when I see families destroyed as they fight over money. The parents pass, leave a bunch of money and the children splinter as they jockey to get all they believe they deserve. It happens over and over and over. But not here. What Abraham does is amazing.
So what is Lot’s choice? Take the lesser of the land out of appreciation and leave his generous Uncle the choice land? Nope, Lot takes the best he can get. Now that is the way of the world today. Greed. I imagine that as Lot had been feeding his herds day after day He had been eyeing the land pretty darn well. He was keen on the land. As soon as Abraham made this offer, I bet Lot didn’t even let him get the words fully out before he blurted out his choice. In fact, he might have even thought Abraham the fool for making such an idiotic offer. Isn’t it funny how the world can perceive God’s ways? I always say that if you’re doing life the world’s way, you’ll fit right in, but if you’re doing it God’s way, people will call you crazy.
So out of this selfish, greedy decision guess where it leads Lot?
“Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” Gen 13:10-13
Yep, it leads him right to the door of Sodom. The choice to take the land that his heart coveted would be the worst decision of his life.
Choices. We all have choices when dealing with others. We all say we put others first but do we really. If you’re honest, no, no you don’t. When we hold great value in our hands, how can we truly give it up to someone else. You see this is a huge part of our sin nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve back in chapter 3. Selfishness. Greed. Desire. We want for ourselves. Many times, even when we don’t need the item in question. We covet, we collect and we do it at the expense of others in need.
One of the best life lessons I learned about sharing came from my mom and a Snickers bar. Now growing up candy was a rare commodity in our house. If it was in the house it was gone faster than a toupee in a hurricane. That’s fast. So, me and my brother Jeff had a rare single Snickers bar in front us. We of course were about to go fisticuffs to see who would get the whole thing. Here was mom’s simple solution. One of you gets to cut it in half and the other gets to pick his half first. After hearing this, we both just sat there and scratched our heads. Huh. Let me tell you, that Snickers was cut with the precision of a brain surgeon. In fact, there might not have ever been a cleaner. more equal cut in history. You’d better believe it was a fair cut.
But this lesson is really not even about sharing. Lot didn’t share, he gave. First Dibs. He didn’t cut or divide, he just let Lot pick. What a lesson I can learn from this today. It all comes from God and God wants to bless everybody. Be the conduit that God can use to bless others. I’ve often heard of the open hand principle in giving. If God gives you $100 and you grab it and hold it tight, you have a $100. But in the process of holding it in a death grip, God cannot put any more in your hand. And also, you cannot give it away when your heart has a death grip on it. But what if your hand stays open? What if that $100 bill just simply lays there. Somebody needs it more than you and you allow them to take it? What do you think God will do? In his grace, goodness and provision, He will replace it, maybe with more. That’s what God does, He blesses givers. But be careful here, I’m not preaching prosperity gospel or blab and grab, God blesses the giver’s heart not the gift. And also, God does not always bless money given with more money. There are blessings that are FAR more valuable than money and that’s the blessings I want to claim from God. Peace. Joy. Wisdom. Love. Goodness. Harmony. Stability. Health. That’s the blessings I’m looking for.
Great lesson today. Giving out of the abundance from which God has first given you. Giving out of the abundance of your heart. If you have the heart of God, you will be a giver. Guaranteed.
God bless you in your giving.
Comments