Lift up Your Eyes and Look
(Genesis 13:14~17)

Abram had left his home in obedience to God’s word and headed for Canaan with his nephew Lot. Meantime, there arose a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and that of Lot’s (Genesis 13:6-7). Abram tried to mediate them and suggested Lot that they should leave their resident land to set apart from each other. And he gave Lot the first choice to choose the land.

1.?Lot leaving Abram
Lot lifted his eyes and looked around and chose the land of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 13:10). Lot only saw the fertile appearance of Sodom and Gomorrah and looked over the sin in the region. Lot left Abram and, as a consequence of God’s punishment against Sodom and Gomorrah, he lost his fortune and his wife. Only if Lot had given the first choice to his uncle, Abram, and chose a place near Abram’s residence, he could have escaped the disaster in Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus, we can learn the lesson that as we get closer to spiritual people and follow the footsteps of faith and put it into practice, we can partake in the blessing from the Lord.

2. Looking with eyes of faith
After Lot left Abram, God asked Abram to lift his eyes and behold all directions of east, west, south and north. And God promised to give him and his descendants all the land that he saw (Genesis 13:14-15). There are times when we feel it challenging to obey God’s Word and our shoulders sag down. However, the land God is showing us, we must see from the eyes of faith, and not by sight. After Abram’s footsteps, we are to live by faith in God who is in charge of everything in our lives and guides us.

3. The achievement of faith
God blessed those who listen to God’s word, and take a leap of faith. And God expands their territory as they take a step by faith. Nonetheless, achieving hold dreams from God requires one to do its best endeavors and practice one’s faith. Because one needs to go through hell and high water until the dream comes true (Romans 5:3-4). Joseph had gone through the platform as a slave and a prisoner for thirteen years until he became the prime minister of Egypt (Genesis 41:41-43). I pray that all of you do not retreat even in the midst of suffering, with faithfulness and hard work, the hold dreams from the Lord.