Day 5-- The Good, The Bad, And The Tempting

Day 5: Genesis 13-15

Main People:

Abram, Lot

Key Points:

*Even if a place seems ‘idea’ based on looks, we have to dig deeper and see if it’s evil underneath (that sounds like a movie tag line lol). After Abram and Lot’s spat, Lot picked the best looking land, unfortunately that land was next to the evil Sodom. Remember, all you have to do to start sin is to look. Lot couldn’t help but looking because he was so close. Sometimes the ‘physical’ best isn’t the best spiritually.

*Abram and Lot, though relatives, started fighting when they both got very wealthy. There wasn’t enough land for them: their helpers were into it. Wealth is very tempting, but like Abram/Lot, sometimes it causes more harm than good.

Verses that Jumped Out at Me:

13:5-9—To keep from fighting, Abram let Lot have first pick of land. By rights, Abram should have first choice she he was oldest, but Abram chose to suck up his pride and allow Lot. When we are in a tiff with people, we need to choke down our pride and do what’s right.

14:23—Don’t forget, everything comes from God.

15:5—God’s blessings are far beyond what we can imagine.

15:6—A ‘right’ relationship with God isn’t about how many good works we do. It’s about our faith. I hate to say/think this, but there are good people in Hell because they didn’t have faith in God/get saved. Being Good is great! Wonderful! We should all try our best to be good, but don’t do it to get into Heaven. It doesn’t work that way. A man whose killed thirty people, but prays for Jesus to save him before his execution gets into Heaven just like a saved person who hasn’t even stopped a butterfly. It’s a hard concept for us to grasp.

Having faith will make us ‘want’ to do good works, but the works themselves won’t get us to Heaven.

15:16—I’ve always wondered why God didn’t just let Abram had Canaan to start with and not go through everything they went through to get it. One reason I’d never thought of is this verse. The Amorites weren’t wicked enough to warrant their destruction yet. God knew they would be, but wouldn’t punish them until then. They still had time to repent (or as many people in area could, anyway). He knew they wouldn’t, but He gave them the time.  I thought that was a powerful verse.

Question:

How many men did Abram have with him to defeat all of Kedorlaomer’s army (with God’s help of course)?

Tomorrow’s Reading: Genesis 16-18

*To find the reading plan I’m doing, click on the “Our Reading Plan for 2013” tab.

*On January 31^st, I’ll have a giveaway (I’m doing this at the end of every month). It will have to do with the reading (so I hope you’re keeping up ;) ) This month’s prize is an ebook copy of my book CROSSING THE DEEP and a $5 Amazon Gift Card

~Kelly