Genesis 14:12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
Do you have one of those relatives who just seem to ruin family gatherings? They just can’t help but make a train wreck of their lives and of anything they touch. And when they speak at a family gathering, other members give each other the knowing glance, the unspoken “Here we go again.”
Maybe they can’t help but talk politics or religion. They bring out the failure stories of the past and throw it in other’s faces, as if to say, “I am at least not as bad as you.” Or they just drink too much and the filter on their mouth gets removed, releasing a torrent of unpleasantries.
It seems as though the father of the Jews, Abram, had a nephew who fit this bill. I get the feeling he was the tagalong member of the family. The text says “and Lot went with him” or something similar several times. The narrative is about Abram and His walk of faith. Lot just seems to get in the way.
Abram allowed Lot to choose which section of the Land he wanted to live in when they returned from Egypt. Lot picked what looked like the best, most fertile section. Abram took the ‘leftovers’ and remained faithful to the LORD. It seems as though Lot was only concerned about himself, and perhaps had a low view of the blessing that rested on his uncle Abram.
Family dynamics can be difficult to navigate. And the obligations that commitment to family can be very costly. Abram’s familial obligations to Lot require him to go into a fight of which he was not a part. He must go rescue Lot from the hands of the victor of the conflict. Not an easy task.
But Abram puts his life on the line for Lot. He is successful in rescuing both Lot and his family, and the rest of those taken captive. He also recovers all their stuff! I guess they didn’t have secure storage facilities for their stuff! Abram is successful where the kings of Lot’s area were not.
You see, even when greatly outnumbered, those with the LORD are victorious. This is part of the blessing that Abram received from the LORD. He would be blessed and he would be a blessing to others. The blessing of the LORD is so great that it can’t help but overflow and spill on others.
Abram’s life is now about blessing. He sees the blessing of the LORD in his own life and he stays true to the covenant the LORD made with him. He takes the LORD as His word. He believes!
Do you see the blessing of the LORD in your life? Are you passing that blessing along, recognizing that you are a channel and not a reservoir? How are you going to bless others today?
The Arnold Journey 