Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.” Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord. After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.” So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord. Genesis 13:8-18 (NLT)
Abraham moved away from this home. He took everything he had. And he took Lot and all he had. Lot’s father had passed away so Abraham kind of adopted him.
As their flocks grew, quarreling broke out between their workers so Abraham suggested they separate their households to make things easier. Now Abraham, being older should have been the one to choose where he wanted to settle. it was his right as the eldest. But he didn’t. He asked Lot to choose. And Lot looked around at the fertile fields of the Jordan Valley and picked that space.
Abraham said OK. You take that. Lot took what he thought was the best. Abraham didn’t say anything. He didn’t strive to take care of himself. Instead, he served to take care of Lot.
I wonder as God watched what he thought. Was he sad because Lot looked at the best fields and chose that instead of looking out for Abraham? Was he proud of Abraham for putting others first?
Lot moves out and God moved in. He came to Abraham and said “Abraham, look as far as you can see. It’s all yours. I am giving this to you.” And Abraham worshiped. Lot moved to an area that was full of wickedness and later would lose everything.
No matter how hard we strive, no matter how much we work to take care of ourselves. It is not what we get that matters. It’s what God gives us that makes all the difference. God may not give us everything as far as we can see, but he will provide. What he provides for each of us is different; different yet perfect. Perfect for us. And his gifts, no matter what they are far outweigh anything we can accumulate on our own.