Jamin Bradley

God told Abraham that he would give his offspring the land of Canaan, but a drought forced him to leave that land and go to Egypt. At that time, he must have been wondering if he’d ever return. He would, of course, and it would be a family situation that would thrust him back into Canaan.

He and his nephew, Lot, had acquired too much stuff, and their herds and herdsmen began to fight over what was theirs. Abraham didn’t want bad blood between them, so he welcomed Lot to choose a direction, agreeing that he would go the opposite way. God had not specifically called Lot to go on this journey in the first place, and it’s here where we might see why. Lot looked toward the Jordan Valley and saw how much water it had. It was supremely better land for farming, so he chose that. This choice would eventually lead to him settling in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was infamous in its time for sin. When we meet Lot again, his mind will seem to have undergone some corruption from that society.

But because of Lot’s choice to head in that direction, Abraham was forced to go the opposite way into the land of Canaan, which was initially promised to him. After Lot left, God spoke to Abraham, expanding on the details of his promise. He then moved close to some trees, for trees had become sacred places for him to meet with God.

One man’s journey was defined by greed and sin. Another man’s was defined by promise and proximity to God, even though the land didn’t look as good at that moment. How might you identify your journey?