Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read Genesis 13:1-11.
Instead of grasping for advantage or asserting his seniority as the elder and the one called by God, Abram chooses sacrifice. He surrenders the right to choose first and gives Lot the option to take the best of the land. Lot, looking out for his own interests, selects the lush, well-watered Jordan Valley—what looked good to the eyes. He moves east toward the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, whose wickedness would soon become their ruin.
Abram’s decision is striking. He gives up what he could claim for himself. Why? Because he trusted that God’s promise was not dependent on securing land by human strategy but by walking in obedience and humility.
This moment reveals a deeper spiritual principle: The way of sacrifice has always been God’s way.
Abram laid down his right so that peace could prevail and God could be glorified. He didn’t insist on his portion because he believed God would be his portion. This points us forward to Jesus, the greater sacrifice—who, though He was rich, became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), and who surrendered everything so we might gain everything in Him.
God honored Abram’s sacrificial heart. After Lot departed, God reaffirmed His promise, telling Abram to lift his eyes and look—not with human calculation, but with faith. “All the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever” (Genesis 13:15).
Personal Worship Option:
Lord, teach me to live the way of sacrifice. When I’m tempted to grasp, to fight for my own way, or to insist on my rights, remind me that Your way is better. Help me trust You like Abram did, believing that what I give up for the sake of peace and obedience is never lost in Your kingdom. Shape me into someone who surrenders the visible for the sake of the eternal. Amen.
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