Contrasts between Lot and Abraham (Gen. 13:13-18)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/23/2006

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  Contrasts between Lot & Abraham

Bible Reading & Meditation                               Reference:  Genesis 13:13-18

            Message of the verse:  “13  Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.  14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.  16  ‘I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.  17  ‘Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.’  18  Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.”

           

            Abraham had failed the first two tests that were given to him by God, the tests of circumstances and people, but he has passed the test of things as seen in these verses.  The test of these things in this case was the land, which Lot had failed because he was the one who chose to go to Sodom because of the outward appearance of it, while Abraham would listen to the Lord who chose all of the land to one day be given to his descendants.   

           

            Lot is living for himself and for his desires while Abraham is now walking with the Lord by faith even though he does not perfectly understand all that the Lord wants him to do. 

           

            The Lord is speaking to Abraham in verses 14-17 and tells him that He will one day give all of the land that Abraham was looking at to his descendants and his descendants will be as dust of the earth so this will make them very large in number.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I look at these verses and the commentary that Dr. Wiersbe has written on them, and also think of some of the thoughts I was thinking about yesterday concerning the troubled investments there is a great parallel to be seen.  I was living a life when I first retired that certainly was not healthy as far as my spiritual life was concerned, a life that was more materialistic than spiritual, yet I did have a strong desire to serve the Lord, but my way.  That has changed now, and not unlike Abraham I too failed some tests and now I don’t want to fail the test that I am in at this time, but want to serve the Lord His way, and not worry so much about things anymore. 

The Word of God and the commentary that I have read concerning these verses has been very convicting to my heart this morning.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I trust the Lord with the circumstances of this day, and pray that Elmer will come through this surgery in a wonderful way so that the Lord will use this surgery and its circumstances to bring about salvation for Elmer and glory to Himself.  My prayer for Elmer is that God will snatch him out of the fire.