Genesis 13:1 - 12

Abram after leaving Egypt was very rich in cattle, gold and silver. Lot, the nephew of Abram was also blessed with flocks and herds and they both dwelt together. When there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle, they separated peacefully. Lot seeing that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, chose to settle among the cities of the valley and pitched his tent in Sodom, while Abram dwelt in Canaan.

Lot took a decision by evaluating the beautiful land of Sodom and the benefits it could bring but Abram chose to trust God to receive in faith what God had planned for him. Lot lived with his family in Sodom where his daughters remained unmarried, lost all his property, lost his wife who turned into a pillar of salt and became the father of two cursed tribes – Moabites and the Ammonites in the hills, outside of Zoar.

Lot took an evaluated, outcome-based decision for his future, but Abram trusted God in faith to be re-named Abraham, so that a multitude of nations could be blessed through him. Lot who lived in Sodom could not even impact the people around him whereas Abraham’s faith-based decision impacted all the generations after him till this very day. The country of Israel that we see on the world map today, is the land God promised Abraham and his descendants, which has undergone twenty-five civilizations till date.

Thought for the day: Faith-based decisions move us closer to the shore of blessings that God has kept for us in Christ.