Once, Twice, Three...Shoot!

I found myself smack in the middle of a family dispute this morning; of Biblical proportion. It wasn’t in my family but our father Abram’s. Quarreling had arisen between Abram’s herdsmen and his nephew Lot’s herdsmen. Apparently the Negev couldn’t support both of their herds. Abram being the peacemaker of the pair suggested that they part ways in order to preserve both of their livelihoods. Gentleman that he was, he allowed Lot to pick wherever he wanted to go and he would take the alternate choice.

“Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD,” Genesis 13:10

Lot makes his choice and headed “a that a way”. He was drawn to what looked like the LORD but really wasn’t. He settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. We very quickly find that Lot moved into Sodom with all his possessions. This is a problem since “the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD” (Gen 13:13). One might wonder where he would find quality Christian fellowship in such a place. But I digress.

Now take Abram. In our culture, he might be considered a sap to let Lot have the first pick. Isn’t there some kind of appeal or notoriety in getting the first choice? He was the senior partner in their venture wasn’t he? Why didn’t he stake his claim and pick the best for himself? Why didn’t he make the leadership choice? Why didn’t he choose for it the old fashioned way? You know once, twice, three….shoot! Why in heaven’s name did he just leave the whole thing up to Lot?

Because Abram trusted God. Since Abram trusted God, God entrusted him with as much land as his eyes could take in. God gave it to him as his inheritance.

“The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” Genesis 13:14-17

Have you ever went after something that you thought was God and wasn’t God at all? Were you choosing or were you letting God lead you? Lot was choosing what he thought was best while Abram waited for God to take the lead. Abram trusted God to give him what he needed and God rewarded that trust by entrusting Abram with more then he could have imagined; land as far as he could see and offspring that couldn’t be counted.

How are you doing? Are you allowing God to bring you into what He has for you or are you chasing after what you think looks like God but might not be. Do you know the difference between what is your choosing and what is God’s leading? Can you look back in your history with God and find a situation for each? One that was of your choosing and one that was of God’s leading? Can you recognize the difference? If not, why not take a moment to ask God to show you how to make that distinction? It could make all the difference in the world.

God always gives the very best to those who leave the choice with him.
James Hudson Taylor