Today’s Reading: Genesis 20-22, Matthew 6:19-34
Today’s Reflection: Gen. 20:1a And Abraham journeyed from thence…
I wish to show you that these few simple words carry with them a lot of weight. You see, Abraham just came from a difficult place in his life. He came from a place of hardship. God had blessed him so much that in some ways, the responsibilities of those blessings became a burden. Allow me to explain. Remember when Abraham and Lot’s herdsmen were fighting so much that it was decided that it would be best if Abraham and Lot separated? It was because they were so blessed that the land did not have enough room to receive them both in one place. So, they had to part ways. What follows next is what leads to this dark place in Abraham’s life. Lot chose the well-watered plains and pitched his tent towards Sodom until he and his entire family decided to move all the way into that wicked city. As it turns out, when God decides to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham begins to intercede on behalf of the city, asking God to spare them if even 10 righteous were found. God agreed. However, there were not even 10 righteous found, so God pulls Lot and his family out, and goes ahead and destroys the cities anyway. This becomes a place of bad memories for Abraham, because of his eye-witness account of the wreck and ruin of the lives of untold thousands of people because of their iniquity and their unwillingness to repent. What is worse is the casualty of Lot’s wife, who looked back to the city after being warned of God not to, and thus turning into a pillar of salt. Furthermore, Lot gets drunk and fathers a child by both of his daughters, bringing shame and reproach to the family name for generations to come. This explains at least to some degree the level of heartache the man of God experiences when his countrymen, his friends, his neighbors, and yes, sometimes even his family, suffers as a result of sin in their lives. It is a hard place to be blessed of God, to become the “go to” person, and yet to see those whom you invest your life and resources into to simply waste it away. The blessing of serving then becomes burdensome when one witnesses such tragedy. It is from this hard place then, that it is said of Abraham that he “journeyed from thence”. Here’s your word; you will not always be in a hard place!
Blessed? Email Us! testify@floodgatesofheaven.org
Print and Share!
copyright © by Gary D. Caudill
✰✰✰ PURCHASE OUR KINDLE BOOK HERE TO SUPPORT ORPHANS AROUND THE WORLD! ✰✰✰
