Verse of the day: Genesis 14:22-23 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have
raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that
I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I
will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—
What a testimony we would have, as born again
believers, if we lived here on earth in such a way that it would be clear to
the world that we do not need its dishonest methods, and ways, to obtain that
which God already promised He would provide for us. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus
clearly tells us that we need not worry about life, what we will eat, drink, or
wear. He promised that God will provide all our needs, and that our first
concern should be our dedication and service to Him. Abraham demonstrates this
in a big way for us. He has just rescued Lot and his family from captivity, and
now the King of Sodom has offered him of the spoil that has been gained.
Abraham’s response demonstrates that he has not forgotten God’s promise of an
inheritance which dwarfs anything the King of Sodom could offer. It also
demonstrated Abraham’s firm conviction, and stance, that he would not align
himself with someone as wicked as the King of Sodom, thereby giving him (the
king) and opportunity to boast that he was the one who made Abraham rich, when
Abraham clearly knew that his provision and riches came from God. We must take
utmost care about our alliances here on earth. We are not to be unequally yoked
with unbelievers in dishonest business practices or earthly gain (2 Corinthians
6:14). Furthermore, we must not be covetous for worldly goods, or be willing to
oppress or rob others in our ambition to gain worldly status, fame, or riches. This
is not becoming of a Christian who claims to trust God for provision or who
claims to live a life that is separated from this world and its ways. Abraham,
along with refusing to take anything from the King of Sodom did not impose his
commitment to the Lord, or his conviction, on those who aligned themselves with
him or that served him in this venture. We must not be like the Pharisees in
our approach to Christianity. In Matthew 23:4 Jesus said, “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and
lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” Abraham was willing to deny himself that which was
lawful and customary to do at that time, but instead chose to show his faith in
the Lord’s provision, and at the same time be selfless, once again, in his
actions towards others. We must be careful that we not impose our preferences
or own convictions upon others who do not have the same convictions. God will
reward each of us in accordance to our dedication and service to Him. The
bottom line is that Abraham refused to do anything at this time that would rob
God of the glory that was due Him. He would not give the ungodly the
opportunity to take credit for that which God promised He would do if he only
trusted Him enough to let Him. Because he was faithful to God in this, he
received the greatest reward any of us could ask for. Genesis 15:1 tells us
that God came to Abraham, after this, in a vision, and said, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your Shield, your exceedingly Great Reward.” How often we trade intimacy with God, and the
maturing of our faith, for the sake of gaining that which God has already
promised to provide. How often we pass up on opportunities to glorify God, and
serve Him, because we are chasing after riches, status, and worldly fame. In
the end, the world will brag about how they gave us success in this life, and
it will be reflected in the busyness, and ambition, that we allowed to keep us
so busy that the world could not even tell that we belonged to God. As a
result, God will not get the glory He deserves, and some day, when we stand
before Him, we will come to the realization of how much heavenly reward we
traded for worthless earthly riches that will then be corroded and left behind
when we finally go home. There is nothing this world can give us that is
greater than what God has promised He has in store for us.
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