Holding onto what?

Introduction

Every wise decision we make is one more step toward building our lives on a firm foundation.

Jesus compares the house of the wise man to a house built upon a rock (Matthew 7:24–27) to show that biblical wisdom makes our lives stable.

We may not see immediate results, but we can think of it like building a house. No one expects a house to be completed after pouring the foundation, cutting the boards, or nailing the first parts of the frame together.

We do not assume building a house is impossible when we see our house is not complete after driving the first nail. We move to the next nail, and the next piece, and the next section. Every addition that makes the project look more like a house gives a little more encouragement and reminds us that our work will pay off if we keep working.

Abram left Egypt and started to establish himself and his household.

-Lot’s family, and herds had grown too big for them to sustain them together as one group.

-Abram decided that it was more important to keep the relationships in tact with his nephew than it was to try and protect his future. Abram uses the term brother ......even though it is translated close relative.

-Marty Solomon talks about the comparison of these two family members in a field ....but from this situation comes peace and restoration.

-Instead of last time there were two close relatives in a field (Cain and Abel) and one killed the other.

Abram divides his household again

-First time he did this he left his Father’s household

-leaving comfort, stability, an assured future in order to trust the WORD that was given to him from the Living WORD.

-Abram again divides his house and once again he allows the promise of a future lineage through his nephew leave an start his own household somewhere else.

-Abram trusted God again ultimately for the promise he had given him.

Lot chose to go east....

-so far in scripture when someone travels to the east it is an indication that they are moving away from God.

-Adam, Eve left the garden to the East Genesis 3:24

-Cain went East Genesis 4:16

-Tower of Babel...they went to a valley plain in the east Genesis 11:2

-Lot chose the land to the east Genesis 13:11

Abram Listened to the voice of God and as he set out in the direction he called him to go he was traveling West.

-There are times where we might not even be aware of the fact that we are fulfilling what God has asked us to be. If we continually listen to his voice and obey he can build his kingdom in and through our lives in ways that we might not even recognize or understand.

Genesis 13:14 God reassures Abram again!

-God knows how big a deal it was for Abram to allow Lot to leave for the prosperity of Lot’s house and the restoration of their households.

-God was telling Abram again despite what you see you can trust me....I will be faithful to what I have promised.

-Have you ever felt like because of what you see in front of you it is impossible to see how God can work through your current situation?

-Have you ever recieved a promise and not been able to even fathom how it would happen?

-God knew Abram needed this reassurance.

-Once again Abram had gone out on a limb and had been faithful in some very difficult ways...and God wanted him to hear that he wouldn’t even be able to calculate the breadth and depth of the lineage that would come from him.

-When God was telling Abram to lift up his eyes and Look upon the land he was going to give his people.

-Look upon in the Hebrew means a combination of :

Expect

Remember

Pay attention to

Look on with favor

Have affection for

God was once again reassuring Abram that he was in the right place at the right time and God was going to be faithful to his promise .

Genesis 14 God blesses and protects Abram as he rescues Lot

-Abram allowed all he had rescued to return to Sodom and Gomorrah

-This includes Lot and his household as well

Abram held loosely to the things of this world in order to hold tight to the promises of God.

Seeing with God’s eyes

Trust His Promise

Walk out your Trust