When we read Genesis 12:1-3, we see that 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. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 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.”
It is quite clear that God had instructed Abram regarding what to do and how to do it; He had told him to leave his country, relatives, and his father’s family. The instruction was that simple, all he had to do was to walk away with his wife and property. God promised to bless him and make him famous, and a blessing to others regardless of who they are, as long as they associated with him or his name.
Not long after the instruction God had given to Abram, the scripture tells us that “Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.” Genesis 12:4
Abram allowed Lot to go with him, even after God had instructed him otherwise. We can not blame him for having a good heart, or caring about his nephew, but what is critical here is that God had instructed him to leave his relatives and father’s family.
It goes without saying, that according to the story, Lot prospered because of Abram, but still, we see a lot of things that happened between Abram and Lot that should not have happened if Abram had obeyed the instruction that God gave to him as it was.
I am not in any way saying that the story we read in Genesis 12 should have been written differently, (For all scripture is God breathed), but am only sharing something I learnt from the experience of Abram and Lot that could help us to consider our ways especially when it comes to our relationships and walk with the people life has surrounded us with.
First of all, like Abraham, when we start to walk in communion and relationship with God, he begins to give us direction and instructions daily about every detail of our lives so that we are aligned according to His will and pleasure.
One of the key areas is the place of friendships; how we make them, and maintain them. God deliberately instructs us in this area because he knows the impact it has on our individual lives.
From the story of Abram and Lot, we see that because Lot went with Abram, partly contrary to the instruction of God, certain things that could have most probably been avoided, happened. Take for example the following scenarios;
- Genesis 13:5-8 Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all the flocks and herds living so close together.
- So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.) Finally Abram said to Lot, let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives!
- Genesis 14:14-16 When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. The he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. 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.
- Genesis 19:29 But God listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.
In all the above scenarios and many more I’ve not mentioned, we see Abram, who later is named Abraham, trying to deal with the consequences of having allowed Lot to move with him in the first place, when God had clearly instructed him otherwise. He has to avoid conflicting with him because of space, then he has to rescue him from captivity, and also plead with God not to destroy a city where Lot was.
What this could mean is that there are certain experiences in life that we could have avoided if we hadn’t chosen to walk with or allow certain people to walk with us if at all we yielded enough to the instruction of God. It doesn’t mean that these people are bad or terrible, it only means that we had to deal with the consequences of building friendships we should not have because we probably did not listen to the instruction of God or simply disobeyed what he told us.
Truth is that God is intentional with us, and because of that, there will always be that still-small voice that speaks to us in the moment of decision making, that if we obey, our decisions will be peaceable and fruitful, but if we do not listen and yield, then we may end up learning the hard way. Am not going to share so much about this because there is really so much to talk about. Am only hoping that this glimpse can open your eyes to a lot more.
This year, allow God to get involved in your choices and decisions. Let Him choose the people He knows you need. Give him the space to build and maintain your friendships and partnerships because He cares about you that much.
Probably there are partnerships He has been warning you about through the various guiding lights of the Spirit; choose to trust Him to lead you on how to go about them because He knows what is best for you. And when he has made it clear who you should walk with, invest in it with all you’ve got, fighting and disregarding anything that seeks to steal, kill or destroy what is good and perfect.
Otherwise let us make a deliberate decision to allow God to always instruct us, because the Instruction of God is our life, so we must learn to yield to it always. The things God teaches us are able to prepare and equip us to do every good work and to put us together and shape us up for the tasks God has for us.
And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21 AMP
I wish you a blessed and fruitful 2022, and I pray that God’s goodness and unfailing love continue to follow you always.
Stay Blessed
#WiGTyT
