Genesis 13. Verses 9,14, and 15 read:
Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left….. And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
We want to delve deeper into our discussion on the vision of faith, which we introduced yesterday. The life of the patriach Abraham provides a very good example. Abraham received God’s promise of becoming the father of many nations. Based on the instructions of God, Abraham moved from Mesopotamia to Caanan, a land which his descendants, the nation of Israel, was later to inherit. He embarked on this journey with his nephew by name Lot. The name Lot means “veil” or “hidden.” True to God’s promise, he prospered Abraham materially, and Lot was equally blessed. There is a blessing that goes for those who associate with men who are in covenant with God, as was Abraham. The challenges associated with prosperity soon crept into the lives of Abraham and Lot. Their livestock increased greatly, such that the land could not contain their possession, and there was rivalry between their herdsmen.
Leadership must be weary of followers who have the tendency to ignite issues that could separate them. As a spiritual and mature man who abhorred contention, Abraham spoke against permitting any misunderstanding to brew between Lot and himself. For every challenge, there is a solution. In a selfless spirit, Abraham showed Lot the entire land before them, and he asked Lot to choose whichever part he preferred. Abraham was willing to take the remaining part. Motivated by selfishness and greed, Lot chose the well-watered parcel of land and left the dry and arid portion to Abraham. At this point, the physical conditions before Abraham depicted hopelessness, uncertainty, and discouragement.
Immediately Lot separated from Abraham, God spoke to him. For God to give us the vision of faith, whatever veils our spiritual eyes, must be removed. Lot was a veil to Abraham, and he had to be separated. After the separation, God asked Abraham to lift up his eyes to look northward, southward, eastward, and westward. God promised to give Abraham as far as he could see. In order to see the vision of faith, we must lift up our eyes to view situations from God’s perspective. Human perspectives lack the power to capture the vision of faith. Whatever men can access must first be seen with the eye of faith. Beloved, it is time for believers to lift up their eyes above the evil, wickedness, and hopelessness that have pervaded societies all over the world and behold the emerging glory. The vision of faith represents the divine perspective, and it can not fail. It will surely prevail.
SHALOM 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏