Genesis 13:14-18. 14The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
God had made some really incredible promises to Abraham. The promise of land – place to live. And the promise of family – children and grandchildren that would become a great nation one day.
When Lot chose to leave Abraham it must have felt like Abraham was losing the promises of God. Lot took the best of the land for himself. But more importantly, when Lot left it was like Abraham’s son had left. How would Abraham become a great nation without Lot? He and Sarah were getting old, and when people get old they can’t make babies anymore.
But Abraham trusted God. He let Lot leave, even though that must have been incredibly hard. And so just when Abraham needed it most, God spoke to Abraham and he repeated his promises – for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.
Then God tells Abraham to respond to his promise. What does he tell Abraham to do? Arise, walk through the length and breadth of the land. Move around the land Abraham. Check it all out. It’s all yours. Live in it. Experience it. Make it your own.
This is exactly what God asks us to do with Jesus. When we have Jesus we have all of God’s incredible promises. They’re called blessings. The Bible says that we have all the blessings of Jesus. His love. His forgiveness. His kindness. His peace and joy. Now, like Abraham, we have to “walk” in Jesus. We have to live in Christ. Think of Jesus as like the Promised Land. We get to live in that land, in Jesus. Inside all of his blessings. In the New Testament book of Ephesians (can you find Ephesians in your Bible?), Paul will tell us to walk four times.
Ephesians 2:10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
By faith, we walk the land of good works, Jesus’ own good works prepared by God for us.
Ephesians 4:1. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.
By faith, we walk in the land of Jesus behaving worthy of our calling, the promise of eternal life and love.
Ephesians 4:17. Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do.
By faith, we reject the walk of the world, it’s selfishness and pride.
Ephesians 5:2. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.
By faith, we walk in the land of Jesus’ love, remembering that Jesus loved us and died for us.
Ephesians 5:8. Walk as children of light.
Finally, by faith we walk in the land of light, the truth and goodness of God. Everywhere we god may we shine the light of Jesus in a dark world.
You: Your “walk” is the way that you live. Would you say that you are walking in Jesus? How can you tell when someone is walking in Jesus (use the verses from Ephesians to help you)?
You with Jesus: Ephesians 2:10 says that we are to walk in good works. Can you think of anything good that Jesus would want you to do today? Why will it take faith in God’s promises to do it?
Prayer: Father, your promises are always true, even when someone I love (like Lot) leaves me. Jesus, you will never leave me. Help me to walk with you and in you every day. Amen.
TLICfamily 