Genesis 14:17-15:21

Genesis 14:17-15:21

After Abram’s victory and his rescue of Lot and his family, the honor and glory was given to God. Not only did Abram know that it was through God’s power that Lot was protected, but even people who did not know Abram recognized God at work. Melchizedek, who is further mentioned in Hebrews, recognizes that it was God who helped Abram rescue Lot. Like Abram, he does not hesitate to honor God, even declaring that God is the Most High. God does not always make His presence known as He did in Genesis 14. He could have easily left Lot where he was and allowed Lot to suffer the consequences of His actions. God did not have to rush in and save the day, giving Lot a second chance. But out of His love, He did. So to bring glory to Himself, God protected Lot.

It is the same way today through the different trials that we go through. When we are diagnosed with some deadly disease or find that we are unemployed, God does not have to rush in and cure us or get us a job immediately. In fact, He does not have to do anything at all. We must remember that much like Lot, it is never about us. It does not matter if we have made some awful mistake and are now about to face the consequences, or if life has just turned south on us, the righteous and the wicked suffer in the same way. But the point we must remember in those times is that God is still with us, whether the situation works out as we would like it to or not. God never leaves us, and we must always depend on Him, knowing that what He wills is best. Maybe things will work out the way we like, and if they do then all the glory must go to God. But even if they do not, we must still praise Him for always being there with us, knowing that He is still watching over us even in those tough times.

In Genesis 15 God mentions the covenant He had made with Abram in Genesis 12 again. But in the opening verses we see some of Abram’s doubts creep in. It is natural for us to wonder if God is going to act when we do not see the results in a short time period. That is what Abram was going through at this point. He knew that he had been promised a great family, but at this point, he still had no children. He did not understand how God would fulfill His promises if Abram continued to remain childless. I think we can relate to Abram. It is easy to doubt and question God, but just like the situation with Lot, we must always trust that God knows what He is doing. In this case, when He promises us something, He is not going to turn back on that word. But as God shows Him the stars in the sky that night, Abram’s doubts fade away. He trusts in God’s words and once again finds himself depending on God’s promises, even if it is taking longer than he would have liked.

In the midst of Abram’s doubts, God reminds him of where he had been. So many times when we find ourselves in life’s tough situations, we tend to forget what God has already done for us. We forget that He was faithful in the past, and that as a result He will be faithful now. God reminded Abram of how He had been with Him from the beginning and would that He would not leave him now. He then promised Abram that He would also be with him and his descendants in the future, giving Abram a glimpse at what was to come. Abram’s descendants would end up in a foreign land as slaves, but because God is faithful, He promised Abram even then that they would return back to this very land that was promised to them. Likewise, God will be with us wherever life takes us. We may not get a glimpse of the future like Abram, but we can depend on God just the same, that He will see us through our futures as well. We must remember that at all times, God is faithful.

Matt