Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that 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 one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” (Genesis 13:8-17 ESV).
The Historic Parker County Courthouse (shown here) was designed by architects Dodson & Dodson in a Second Empire style. Erected in 1886, this towering monument fashioned from limestone is topped by a four-sided clock tower. The exterior of the county capitol, a National Register Property, was restored in the early 1990s. I was the senior pastor of North Side Baptist Church at the time. As a part of the restoration of that time, the clock was refurbished. Three fellow pastors and I were asked to pray for the county at the beginning of this effort. It was not a formal ceremony. We were allowed, however, to climb the stairs and go into the upper level of the clock tower where the mechanism was located. We prayed and inscribed Scripture on some of the exposed beams. Looking out the small windows from the tower we could see what appeared to be forever. It was a humbling experience. I was reminded of that day by our reading today.
As the elder family member, Abraham had the right to choose which land he would take for himself. But he surrendered that right and let his nephew Lot choose first. Setting his sights on greater things, Abraham trusted God to take care of him, no matter which part of the land he would receive. In faith, Abraham turned the situation over to the Lord—not allowing his possessions to possess him. This freed him to enjoy God’s blessings without clinging to them or grasping for more. Abraham was able to hold on loosely to the things of this world. In return, Abraham received more than he gave up. God promised him that one day all of the land he could see around him would belong to him and his descendants. God honors those who yield their rights and surrender their resources for his greater purposes.
Abraham’s choice points us to Jesus, who chose to give up his rights for a more glorious purpose (cf. Philippians 2:6-9). And in this expression of humility and obedience, he received “the name that is above every name.” Be assured that God blesses all who entrust their future to him. Trust Him!