Reflections

¹⁰Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere–this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah–like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.

 11So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.

 12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

 13Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.

 14The 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;

 15for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.   Genesis 13:10-15

Abram and Lot had a lot of animals and herdsmen.  They had so much that the land could not contain all that they had.  So Abram decided it was best for them to separate.  Lot chose the land based on what he saw and Abram simply trusted God and said he would go in the opposite direction of Lot.  Lot did not seek wisdom in choosing his land.  He liked what he saw and chose based on what his eyes could see.  Unbeknown to Lot he chose land that was full of wicked men and would later be destroyed by God.  Abram had trusted God and God told Abram to lift his eyes and everywhere that he could see God would give it to him and his descendants forever.

When we make decisions we should never rely on what we see or understand.  We are to seek wisdom and consult with God.  Abram was already following God’s instruction, so when he told Lot to choose the land Abram knew that God would be with him wherever he went.  Lot didn’t even ask Abram which way to go even though Lot had been following Abram.  Instead he went with what he wanted and later suffered the consequences when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

A life of obedience and trust in God will lead us to prosperity, blessings and God’s protection.  God made Abram a promise that would last forever and impact all of his descendents.  When we follow God we have the assurance of God’s blessings that will last for many generations to come.