“And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before thee… And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan… Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan… And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes…” (KJV, Gen. 13:8-11, 14).
“And Abram said unto Lot”
Father, You have been kind to me and have initiated reconciliation. I had rebelled against Your commands, but You made a way that we could be at peace with one another. You are for peace, not war. You desire that all men would come to repentance.
Thank You for Your example towards me. I also see that Abraham was a man of peace as well. In being a man of peace, he initiated peace. Your Word tells me, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Rom. 12:18). Please help me do what I must to be at peace with others. I know that there will be times when peace is not possible. However, as it depends on me, help me be like Abraham.
“Let there be no strife”
Abraham desired peace rather than strife. Strife is easy, but peace is hard. It is easy to get angry and quarrel. All it takes is giving into the flesh. However, to be at peace with others requires discipline and effort. I find that I fail at times and enter into strife when I should not. Please forgive me for my sin.
Scripture says, “The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with” (Prov. 17:14). Sometimes I think that I can enter into a bit of strife and everything will be okay. However, based on experience and Your Word, these thoughts are only lies. Your Word tells me that the beginning of strife is like a breaking damn, and I must learn to be cautious.
“I pray thee”
Father, would You teach me to pray? I know that I do not avail myself of prayer as I ought. I would be far better off if I spent more time with You in prayer. Nevertheless, my day begins, I often get distracted, and before I know it, a day has passed again with little time spent with You in prayer.
Give me wisdom on how to pray, when to pray, and how to structure my day so that I can prioritize You. My spirit is willing, but I find that my flesh is weak. Regardless, You are worthy and deserving of much praise. You are the Most High God and the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Therefore, you deserve my devotion and attention. Please help me to this end.
“between me and thee”
Yet again, I am reminded that Abraham wanted peace between him and Lot. Although Abraham was not a perfect man, he was a good example. Teach me to learn from his ways and emulate his walk of faith.
You called him out of his homeland, and he went in faith, not knowing where You were leading him. You promised him a son, and he held onto the promise in faith for many years and glorified You. You also told him to sacrifice his son. In faith, he ascended the mountain, believing that if he killed Isaac, You would raise his son from the dead because You promised that Isaac would be his heir.
“and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we are brethren”
What an amazing example of brotherly love. Not only did Abraham desire peace between himself and Lot, but he also desired peace between the whole company. Unity is rooted in Your character, for You are the Triune God. You are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are three persons in one God.
Scripture says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). Paul also believed that unity rather than division was essential. Please teach me how to grow in being a peacemaker.
“Is not the whole land before thee”
Here I am made aware of how Abraham ensured there would be peace. Abraham sought peace by being a selfless man. Please help me to realize that I will never be at peace with others or a peacemaker when selfishness remains. My only hope of being a peacemaker is through dying to self and rising to newness of life.
When there were too many people and livestock, the land could not contain them. As a result, Abraham allowed Lot to choose the portion of land he so desired. What a remarkable example of selflessness and faith. He would have also needed to trust in You to provide if Lot took the best of the land. Increase my faith, Lord Jesus.
“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan”
Father, I see the sin of Lot. I see his temptation as he lifted his eyes and beheld the plain of Jericho. Instead of turning, he allowed the flesh to take over. He did not respond in selflessness as Abraham did. May I learn from the sin of Lot?
I see where his fleshly desires took him. He moved toward Sodom a little at a time. He did not quickly leap into the sinful city, but eventually, his sinful heart took him there. He was seated at the gate of Sodom and likely had a predominant position in the sinful city. Had the New Testament not said he was righteous, I may have never known he was a true believer. Teach me to learn from his bad example, deny the flesh, and embrace selflessness.
“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan”
Lot allowed the temptation to fester, and eventually, he responded with the will. He chose the plain of the Jordan, and his descent is seen clearly. However, I am also reminded that John and James sought the best place as well, for the Scripture says, “They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory” (Mark 10:37). Thus I am made aware that the sin of selfishness can manifest itself in many forms.
“And the Lord said unto Abram”
While Lot chose the best of the land, Abraham chose selflessness. Then the Bible says that You spoke to him. Father, help me realize that if I want to hear Your voice, I must also walk the selfless path. Your Word makes it clear that You dwell with the lowly. You give grace to the humble. You revive the contrite.
“after that Lot was separated from him”
I am also aware that You spoke to Abraham after Lot separated. Sometimes activity can get in the way of hearing Your voice. With so much going on in the world and the church, it can be easy to believe that I must be doing things to win Your heart. However, I must look to the example of Jesus, Who often retreated from it all to spend time with You alone. It was when Abraham was alone that You spoke to him.
“Lift up now thine eyes”
Lot lifted up his eyes in selfishness, but Abraham lifted his eyes by command. You showed Abraham his reward. Abraham did not seek to save his life. Instead, he lost his life. However, in the process of losing his life, he gained it.
Please help me to live the paradoxical Christian life. Please show me what it means to gain life out of losing it and to live through death. You have given me a wonderful example of selflessness in Your Word. You have shown me that You reward a selfless life. Help me to apply Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.