Grace and peace from our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you! Welcome to our column «Daily word for spiritual strength»!Yesterday we determined that your surrounding has an impact on you, it determines whether you enter the destiny God has prepared for you or you don´t, whether you fulfil your purpose received from God or you don´t. We looked at Abraham example. God called Abraham to leave his country, his relatives and his father´s house and move to the land God showed to him. Lot went with him, but God didn´t instructed Abraham regarding Lot. Therefore, Abraham had not been able to hear the voice of God and see the promised land unless Lot was separated from him.
«Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it to you.” Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh.» (Genesis 13:14-18).
The point here is that Lot´s and Abraham´s lives were oriented in a different way. Each of them had different values in his life – each of them was seeking different treasures. While Abraham was guided by the voice of God and followed the visions from God, Lot was more concerned about his welfare then doing God´s will. As long as they stayed together disagreements between them never ceased, their shepherds quarrelled all the time. The Bible says that Lot was a righteous man, very distressed by lawless deeds of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. « … and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them, was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds)». (2nd Peter 2:6-8).
Meanwhile, the Bible tells us that it was Lot who chose to settle up in that environment in order to become rich. We also know from the Bible that Lot and his family hesitated to leave Sodom and Gomorrah even after they had been told that God was going to destroy those cities. The Bible also tells us that Lot lost his wife. His children and sons in law did not treat the word of God seriously. It proves that values of Lot´s family were much different from those Abraham and his wife had in their family, as the God Himself testified about it. «For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”» (Genesis 18:19).
As you see, Lot and Abraham had different values and goals in their families. As long as they stayed together in one place Abraham could not enter his heritage in God in whole. As soon as they parted, Abraham began to hear the voice of God again and started to develop his vision. «Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered.» (Genesis 13:14-16).
Jesus as our Model made friends based on his or her willingness to do God´s will. His never chose friends just because a certain person was a relative or a stranger, poor or rich, a law teacher or a sinner. Those who desired to do God´s will were “a brother, a sister and a mother” to Him. In opposite case Jesus only tried to help such person to understand the purpose of his life and unite him or her with the Creator while those who wanted to do God´s will in their life became His best friends.If you and your friends are not united by God and willingness to do His will, you have to seriously reconsider that! Your friends will make a huge impact on your life.Let´s continue this topic tomorrow!Peace on you!Rufus Adjiboje, pastor
