Walk in Wisdom

Coming Clean

Genesis 13:14 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…”

As an exclamation point to yesterday’s reflection, I can’t help but notice here that God delivers His promise to Abram only after Lot is out of the picture, as if to signify that Abram needed to remove his compromise before he could recognize God’s blessing. And I say ‘recognize’ rather than ‘receive’, because it’s possible to receive God’s providential mercies from day to day without recognizing them. In fact, I’m ashamed to think of how many days I spend engulfed in The Father’s love, encompassed by His provision from all directions, but I never notice. Because my head’s down, and my eyes are glued to the road, and I’ve let some little compromise grow into a big conflict that absorbs my focus. Christ taught us in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God,” which means that Abram doesn’t need to give a hefty tithe or listen to a long sermon or read a thick commentary; he just needs to get alone with God, come clean of his compromise, and lift up his eyes afresh.

And maybe that’s what you need as well.