Category Archives: Righteousness / Serving God

Money / Finances / Wealth, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Righteousness / Serving God

Fight for God, Not Earthly Rewards

In Genesis 14:17-24 Abram returns from a significant military victory in which he saved his nephew Lot along with other captives and many possessions that were taken as plunder of war. He takes nothing of the plunder for himself. He gives a tithe to Melchizedek, identified as both king and priest, returns the captives and the plunder asking only for the food his troops already ate and a share of the goods recovered for his allies.

17 After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High,[d] brought Abram some bread and wine. 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be God Most High,
    who has defeated your enemies for you.”

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered.”

22 Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.”

Abram makes a point to show that he did not fight to get riches. He fought because it was right to do so. It was a righteous battle. He gives to God through the tithe to Melchizedek and asks for some of the goods for his allies. Melchizedek gives praise and honor to God for the victory.

God wants us to follow Abram’s example… to fight righteous battles not for personal gain but to live in accordance with God’s instruction. The battles we are called to fight are not always literal. Many times we are not called to raise sword or spear but rather to speak the truth and stand up for our faith and resist those who wish to silence Christians through fear or persecution. Sometimes it may be choosing those we do business with or vote into political office based on their public demonstration of faith and honoring God instead of someone who is selfish and greedy for power… and helping convince others to do the same.

For those who want a little more scripture for today… who is Melchizedek? It is reasonable to conclude from study of scripture that Melchizedek is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ Himself. You can find more detail on this subject at www.gotquestions.org/Melchizedek and www.equip.org/broadcast/qa-melchizedek (audio of radio broadcast question and answer).

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Can I Trust the Bible?, Courage / Fear, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Righteousness / Serving God, Suffering / Adversity

A Righteous Man in an Unrighteous World

Genesis 14:1-16 shows us how Abram responds when war breaks out nearby and his nephew, Lot, is captured. We continue to see evidence in the writing style (e.g. specific details provided about the kings, locations and the war) that the scriptures about Abram document details of historical events and not just parables or make-believe stories.  God graciously provides us evidence that we can trust the Bible as the true and inspired word of God.

There is much more to be gained from this scripture as we study Abram’s actions and see how a man of great faith and close relationship with God deals with this difficult situation.

14 About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia,[a] King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim 2 fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).

3 This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea[b]). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him.

5 One year later Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived and defeated the Rephaites at Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites at Ham, the Emites at Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites at Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar.

8 Then the rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (also called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea.[c] 9 They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 As it happened, the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains. 11 The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and headed for home, taking with them all the spoils of war and the food supplies. 12 They also captured Lot—Abram’s nephew who lived in Sodom—and carried off everything he owned.

13 But one of Lot’s men escaped and reported everything to Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram’s allies.

14 When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. 15 There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

The following are just a few observations from a quick study of the scripture.

  • In war and world events there is not always a righteous side. The scripture gives no evidence to suggest either side in the war honored God. The victors plundered the citizens and took many possessions and captives. Lots of people were hurt who really had no direct involvement in the war.
  •  Once he became aware of the situation, Abram did not hesitate. The scripture does not indicate that he stopped even to consult God.  He had an ongoing relationship with God and recognized immediately the need for action. He gathered a group of trained men in a selfless attempt to help others. Abram had nothing to gain and a lot to lose.
  • Abram could have been bitter with Lot because Lot had previously chosen the best land for himself when Abram and Lot separated earlier in Genesis. Abram was not bitter. He was content with what he had and trusted God. He loved Lot.
  • Abram used wise strategy to divide his forces and attack at night. Scripture does not say, but the opponent is described as an “army”. It is reasonable to assume they may have had more men than Abram.
  • Abram brought back Lot, the other captives, and all the possessions. As we will see in the next section of scripture, Abram refused to take any of the plunder for himself, even when it was offered to him.

As a righteous man, Abram showed courage and wisdom to confront a bad situation and took bold and selfless actions to address it. Jesus calls us as Christians to do the same in our daily lives.

Of course, we are not all called to go to war. Sometimes we have the opportunity to help individuals, churches, or local communities to address specific needs. Other times we may be called to help stop cruelty and murder in places we don’t expect… like helping to educate people on the brutality of abortion and leading them to reject it and to reject organizations that support it.

One thing we know  for sure… Jesus calls us to live differently from the world and to demonstrate God’s love and character through our actions and behaviors towards the situations around us. Abram demonstrates that beautifully in Genesis 14.

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Discerning / Judging, Parables, Share the Good News

Do Not Throw Your Pearls to Pigs

During the sermon on the mount, just after speaking to His disciples about judgment and reproof, Jesus provides important guidance in an interesting metaphor that is very easy to overlook or misunderstand if taken out of context.

Matthew 7:6

6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.[e] Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Jesus had just cautioned His disciples not to judge others and condemn them as sinners but rather to focus on addressing the sin in our own lives first and then to help others address the sin in their lives… to act in love to help sinners turn from sin and toward Christ. Now in verse 6, Jesus clarifies that we are certainly called to use discernment and wisdom in sharing the gospel and in our attempts to help others to come to know Jesus.

Jesus calls us to share the good news of the gospel with sinners as He did in His earthly ministry. However, some people will never accept or even respect the gospel or our efforts to share it. They will mock and persecute us as Christians… try to manipulate and trample the sacred scripture we share with them. The guidance in Matthew 7:6 is similar to the guidance God give in Matthew 10:14.

14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.

Essentially what Jesus is addressing is the following:

  • We are called to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with sinners.
  • We have limited time and resources with which to share the gospel and unlimited number of people who need to be reached.
  • We must use our time effectively and efficiently. We use discernment and wisdom to understand the times, places, people, and type of communication that are most effective.
  • If we linger trying to force someone to accept the truth who wishes only to mock it and us as followers of Jesus, we will miss sharing the gospel with many others who may genuinely receive the word and turn to Jesus.

As always, we can come before God humbly in prayer and ask for wisdom and clarity in this area to help us know when and with whom we should share the gospel… and for how long before we shake the dust from our sandals and move on.

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Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, How do I get started?, Prayer

What If God Is Silent When I pray?

Sometimes when we pray for something, even something that may be righteous and in line with God’s instruction, we do not hear back from God a “yes” or a “no” or even “later”. We hear silence. Our first reaction is often that God does not hear or does not care. The scriptures tell us differently.

Henry and Richard Blackaby cover this subject well in Hearing God’s Voice. There are several areas for personal reflection when we feel we are hearing nothing back from God in regards to our prayers.

If we allow sin to remain in our lives, God will not respond to our prayers. If we hear silence returned for prayers we may consider what sin we may have in our lives.

  • If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. [Psalm 66:18]
  • Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.  It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. [Isaiah 59:1-2]

Though all sin creates separation between ourselves and our holy God, the Bible highlights a few specific examples of sin that can impede our prayer life:

We must also consider whether or not we have faith for God to answer our prayer.

Ultimately we must learn to trust Jesus whether He answers our prayers with a “yes”, “no”, or “later”. We submit and declare “Your will be done, not mine.” If we hear only silence, we should spend time reflecting on any areas of sin in our life that may be separating us from God. We should repent, come before God humbly and ask forgiveness.  God hears and cares always.

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Hearing from God, How do I get started?, Prayer

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?

Sometimes it may feel like God is not answering our prayers. Often when we feel this way it is because we have asked for something and He did not give us the specific thing for which we asked. Because He did not say “yes” and “right now”, we feel like He did not hear, is not listening, or does not care.

For those of us that are parents or have even been around children, we recognize that giving them everything they ask for is not the answer that demonstrates the most wisdom or love for those children. They may ask to eat nothing but candy all day… and get a sick stomach, or ask to play in the street… and get hit by a car. We use our wisdom to decide when to answer “yes”,” no”, or “later”.

It is the same way with God. He loves us as His children and wants the best for us, but often times what we are asking for is not what is best for us. We must trust in God when He answers “yes” and when he answers “no”. So too when He has different timing than we had in mind… “yes, but later”.

Our prayers most honor God and are most likely to be answered with “yes” when we are praying for things that are pleasing to God and are in His will. Once again, this makes perfect sense to us when we think about children asking us for things. For example, if a child asks for eating candy all day the answer is “no”. If the child asks for an opportunity to take care of her little brother and show him love doing something he really likes… the answer is much more likely to be “yes” or “yes, but later”.

Sometimes God may hear and answer our prayer but it is in a different way than we expected or asked. We may ask God to grant us our desire to marry a particular individual that seems a great choice. God may deny this request and answer later by providing someone He knows will be a better choice in His timing. Similarly it could be the same individual but at a different time when we are better prepared for a successful, godly marriage.

One of the greatest examples of a “no” answer was when Jesus came in prayer before He was taken into custody to be crucified.

Matthew 26:39 [Jesus] went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Jesus asked for something, but willingly submitted to God’s will. Through an answer of “no” to the most righteous person ever to walk the earth, God provided a path to salvation for the rest of us through accepting Jesus Christ as our lord and savior.

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Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Money / Finances / Wealth, Obeying God

Trust God More Than Wealth

In Genesis 13, Abram leaves Egypt and travels into the Negev, with his wife, Lot and all they owned.  Abram demonstrates an ongoing relationship with God. He worships, trusts and obeys God. Abram is wealthy but is not greedy. He offers the first choice of land to his nephew, Lot. Lot chooses selfishly to take the best land all for himself, though that ultimately does not turn out well for Lot.

13 So Abram left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot and all that they owned. 2 (Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.) 3 From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, and they pitched their tents between Bethel and Ai, where they had camped before. 4 This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again.

5 Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. 6 But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. 7 So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.)

8 Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! 9 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.”

10 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.) 11 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. 12 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. 13 But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.

14 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. 15 I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants[a] as a permanent possession. 16 And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! 17 Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”

18 So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord.

This chapter starts and ends with Abram worshipping God at an altar. We can see that Abram has maintained an ongoing relationship with God. He trusts in God, not in his wealth.

In fact, God blessed Abram and those who were with them so much that they needed to spread out a bit more… a good problem to have. Abram lets Lot pick which land he wants first, when Abram could have demanded the best land and asked Lot to leave. Abram showed love for Lot and trust in God.

Lot picked selfishly, taking the best land for himself. It turns out that what looks good to man often is not good. The land was rich but Lot would find himself suffering amongst a sinful and rebellious people who reject God. (Interesting to note that we read Abram worshipped at the altar, not Abram and Lot.)

Abram shows no indication of holding bitterness toward Lot. He was ok with Lot having the best land. Once Lot leaves, God speaks to Abram and tells him about the plans God has for him… wonderful and great plans.

Through Abram we see the type of relationship a righteous man has with God. We can challenge ourselves to trust God as Abram did. Abram made mistakes, of course, but what a wonderful example of faith in a lifelong journey with God.

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Discerning / Judging

What Does the Bible Mean by “Do Not Judge Others…”?

Matthew 7:1-5 contains one of the most misunderstood and misused verses in the Bible. Sometimes this verse is misused intentionally, and sometimes it is because of a lack of understanding. For those that read and accept the Bible as the word of God on a routine basis the context becomes clear. For those who just hear the phrase and that it is from the Bible,  it can be confusing.

7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others.[a] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.[b]

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye[c] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,[d] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

Does Jesus really mean we should not judge anyone for any wrong behaviors? No. This would be extremely inconsistent with the full body of God’s word to apply this scripture in this way.

From a quick check on common sense we can see from the Old Testament that God has always communicated to man both right and wrong behaviors and motivations. There are plentiful examples in the Old Testament (e.g. Mosaic law) where God actually instructed Moses in the appropriate punishment for wrong behaviors that were to be judged and administered by man. This system was there in part to enable governing, protecting, and leading a godly group of people and to clearly identify and cut off ungodly behavior so it did not become more widely acceptable.

We can certainly apply this today in a commons sense comparison. Who among those who say we should not judge anyone is also calling for us to do away with court systems and free everyone from prison who has been convicted of violent crime? We can all imagine where that road leads… to anarchy, not to godliness.

Pausing and dwelling on Matthew 7:1-5, we see an obvious reminder from God that we need to start by focusing on addressing our own sin. The more we come before God and ask Him in our lives and hearts the further we travel on the journey to holiness and godliness… and the better we are able to help others around us.

Note that Jesus does not say we should not help remove the spec from our friend’s eye, just that we must start with ourselves. Both the log and the spec should be removed.

As we hold ourselves to the standard of godliness revealed in the Bible and take action to eliminate or change our behaviors and our motivations from sinful to righteous, we are also positioned to more effectively help others to see the same godly standards and apply them in their own lives. We do not help others by accepting their sin… we help them the same way we help ourselves… by identifying the sinful motivation and behavior and by rejecting it.

As we are on the journey toward righteousness ourselves and recognize we an never achieve a truly holy standard by ourselves, we should also recognize the grace, mercy and love that Jesus offers to us and we should similarly extend that to others.

A last thought is that we must remember that God judges based on the heart where we as men can only judge effectively based on observable behaviors and actions. We must challenge ourselves to “24 Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” [John 7:24]

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Can God Use Me?, Faith / Trusting God

Even Abraham Failed To Rely on God at Times

Abram (later Abraham) is appropriately held in high regard as a man of great faith. He obeyed and trusted God throughout his life, growing closer and more faithful to God the longer he knew Him.  However, he also had times along the journey where he failed to rely on God and made significant mistakes, as in Genesis 12:10-20.

10 At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. 11 As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ 13 So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

14 And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. 15 When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. 16 Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17 But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!” 20 Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.

How wonderful that God protected Abram and Sarai and their marriage even when Abram failed to do so because of his fear. Instead of trusting God or asking God for help, Abram came up with a scheme based on lies to try to protect himself. When it was obviously falling apart, he stayed with the lies. He took payment to give his wife to Pharaoh without declaring her as his wife. Thankfully God intervened to help Abram and Sarai.

Even for those who faithfully serve God, it can be difficult at times to avoid creating messes for ourselves as Abram did in this scripture. We try to solve problems our way instead of God’s way. If we look closer we see Abram’s plan was based on lies instead of truth and he ultimately was willing to sacrifice the holy bond of marriage instead of asking God for help. Both the lies and the willingness to sacrifice his marriage to protect himself are inconsistent with God’s instruction and character.

We can learn both from Abram’s (later Abraham) failures and his successes in his walk of faith with God. We have the benefit of having this scripture and many more available to show us the way God wants us to live. Still it can be difficult to apply consistently in our own real life situations. We must decide ahead of time, before the conflict arises that we will serve God even at risk of our own lives.

I urge each of you to pray with me that God would strengthen our faith and trust in Him and give us wisdom in applying it to specific situations in our lives.  And for those of you who, like me, have failed in this area in your life… be encouraged how Abram was able to continue his walk with God and be used mightily by God despite his shortcomings. God will be with us also if we seek Him wholeheartedly.

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Greed, Money / Finances / Wealth, Obeying God, Study the Word

Righteous Attitude Toward Money and Possessions

Jesus speaks to us in Matthew 6:19-34 about a righteous attitude toward money and possessions and also reminds us how important it is that we ensure we are following God’s instruction, God’s light,  to guide our path.

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[e] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Jesus reminds us that if we focus our time and energy on generating money and possessions in this world, we are focusing on the wrong things. Money and possessions are temporary. They will not last. We can not serve both money and God. One or the other may be our master, but not both.

While it is right to plan for the future, worrying about tomorrow is not helpful. It can not add a single moment to our lives, and if you study the adverse health impacts of stress you come to realize that worry may actually shorten our lives or negatively impact our health. We must put our trust in God… the creator of the universe who loves each of us individually us as a father loves a child.

Jesus reminds us also that those who think they see the light clearly… understand right and wrong… understand God and His will… but do not truly know Him are in trouble. They are in utter darkness, but not even searching for the true light to guide their path for they think they already have it. To ensure we stay connected to God’s will we must anchor our understanding of His character and will in the Bible and have an active, personal prayer life to come humbly before our lord and savior on a regular basis.

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Hearing from God, Obeying God

Answering God’s Call

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Genesis 12:1-9 shows us the beginning of Abram’s journey of faith and obedience before God to leave behind much of his family and country and go where God instructed him to fulfill God’s plan for his life.

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.

7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.[a]” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. 9 Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.

God had great plans for Abram. God told Abram to leave his country and his family, to leave what was familiar and comfortable. God clearly said that He would be with Abram and had plans to bless him and make a great nation from him. However, God had not revealed all the details about the journey or the plans He had for Abram. Abram made a choice to trust and obey God.

We should be careful not to assume this was an easy choice for Abram. He was leaving behind much that was familiar and taking a difficult journey with his family and possessions.  Perhaps his family did not want to go. This was not a choice to take a comfortable and easy path, but rather a hard one. Through obedience Abram opened the door to receive God’s blessings and fulfill the plans God had for him.

To live a life in close relationship with God, we must not only read God’s word, but also to learn to hear from God when He speaks to us specifically about the choices in our lives. We must learn to trust and obey Him even when we don’t have all the details.

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