Today's Devotional

Today's Devotional brought to you by Prayer Warrior Jon Vasgar

                                                               "You Want Me To Do What??!" aka The Story of Abraham: Part 2

Genesis 13:5-7 'Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.'

So, at this point, Abram had been travelling for quite some time. He'd brought his wife and his nephew along. Notice that his nephew's workers and his own were not getting along, so to stop the issue, they decided to split. Abram, being the humble man that he was, allowed Lot to choose where he would go. Notice what happens next in verses 10-11 'And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other." At this point, things don't look so great for Abram. He's old, tired, and instead of the beauty of the land, he's stuck in a nasty, dusty, drab desert called Canaan.

But God had so much more in mind for him. Verses 14-18 tell us what transpired here: 'And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are--northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, [then] your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." Then Abram moved [his] tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, [fn] which [are] in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.'

Just when it seemed like all was lost, God told Abram to look all around him. This included the east, where Lot had gone off to, and God promised him ALL of it would belong his family for generations.

Sometimes, God makes us go through some awful, dusty, dreary, nasty areas in our lives. Our usual response is to immediately decide that God doesn't love us or to say, "Wait.. what?" We don't want to serve God at this point, we are too busy complaining. It's like we see all that is being taken away, but not what God is replacing it with.

If we'd just spend less time freaking out and trust God, we'd see that Canaan land is within our reach. I'm not promising riches, because I don't believe that is how God works. I'm not promising you'll end up with an easy life. Abram's certainly wasn't. Notice he still dwelt in a tent. But, Jesus said " If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24 (NIV) That's not satisfy himself, that's DENY himself. Being a follower of Jesus isn't an easy life. It's hard. But, the rewards outweigh the cost. Abram ended up with Canaan. We end up with rewards in Heaven. Matthew 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." All the things we gain on this planet during this life are but fleeting. The things we gain in Heaven are gonna last forever! Our Canaan is waiting for us. So, what's it going to be? Are you going to curl up in a ball and proclaim that God doesn't love you cause life's just too hard? Or are you gonna get up on top of that mountain and shout that God loves you cause He's trying you to come forth as gold!

Prayer: I have none today. I want this to reach your heart, right where you are today, whenever you read this. I want you to pray. God doesn't need my words, He needs your heart. God will bless anyone who comes to Him, it doesn't matter what you say, He's listening.

Song: A little bluegrass today.