Friday, August 17, 2018

IT PAYS TO BE GENEROUS TO GOD'S PEOPLE

Proclamation:
“So Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.  Is not the whole land before you?  Let’s part company.  If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.’  Lot looked around and saw the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of The Lord … So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east.”  Genesis 13:8-11 (NIV)

Explanation:
These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After Abram left his father’s household and country, he went to the land of Canaan near Bethel where he pitched his tent and built an alter. (Genesis 12:4-8)  In order to avoid the famine in the land, Abram went down to Egypt for a while where he lied and said that his wife Sarai was his sister so that the Egyptians would not kill him and take her. (Genesis 12:10-20)  He returned to Bethel with more than he had when he left, and his herds and Lot’s herds were so large that the land could not support them both. (Genesis 13:1-6)  When quarreling started between Abram’s herders and Lot’s herders, Abram told Lot to choose the part of the land that he wanted, and he would take the other side.  Abram was generous and let Lot have the best part of his land.  After Lot left, The Lord spoke to Abram and blessed him saying that all of the land that he could see, in all directions, would be his. (Genesis 13:14-18)

Application:
All separations are not bad.  Sometimes it is better to separate yourself from some people in order to keep the peace.  The children of God are to be peacemakers. (Matthew 5:9)  It is also good to be generous when you give to God’s people.  The Bible says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” (Luke 6:38)  By giving, we shall receive; and as we give, so shall we receive.  The Bible also says that the generous person will be made rich, and he that blesses others will himself also be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)  By giving generously to God’s people, we will be blessed.


No comments:

Post a Comment