City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

¹ So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

² Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. ³ And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. ⁵ And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, ⁶ so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, ⁷ and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” ¹⁰ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹ So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

Genesis 13:1-11 (ESV)

¹ Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” ⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him.

Genesis 12:1-4 (ESV)

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:8-16 (ESV)

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s verses display the importance of trusting God, moving forward, and letting go of the past. In Genesis 12, God clearly instructed Abram to leave his father’s household. While Abram did obey the Lord and step out in faith, he brought Lot with him. 

Lot was a remnant of Abram’s past and a part of his father’s household. When it finally got to the point that the land could no longer support both Abram and Lot and all their possessions/staff, Abram decided it was finally time to cut ties with Lot. 

According to Genesis 13:9, Abram generously offered for Lot to choose to go wherever he wanted. This is very generous of Abram because arguably Lot grew wealthy as a direct result of his connection to Abram. Lot chose to go to a fertile, prosperous area (Gen. 13:10). 

How many of us are like Lot and just want to choose the best possible option based on how things look? Abram wasn’t that way. He was flexible and believed God would bless him no matter where he went. This displays Abram’s trust in God no matter where he went. 

The verses from Hebrews 11 above provide further insight into the transient lifestyle Abraham embraced in hopes of reaching a heavenly city in eternity. He dared to leave the familiar and follow God forward, not fully knowing where he was going. He learned to trust God step-by-step. 

What’s more, he was willing to let go of his past. The truth is there just isn’t enough room in our lives to fully embrace what God is doing and keep our old lives too. If we try to do that, then tensions will arise. When God calls us to do something, we’ve got to fully obey Him. Partial obedience is still disobedience. 

Application

Is there something that God has called you out of that you are holding onto? Perhaps it is time to cut ties. It is only then that you will be fully able to embrace and receive the promises God has for your life. 

As an act of trust, pray and ask God for wisdom to do what needs to be done to walk in full obedience to Him. Listen for His response, then act on it. 

Prayer

Father God, thank You for the peace and security I have in You. Help me to realize that You are my home. As long as I am with You, I am exactly where I need to be. Give me courage to say goodbye to whatever is holding me back from fully embracing You and Your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.