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Genesis is a great book. I love the lessons that can be gleaned from Abram and his son, Isaac. In chapter 13, we see how Abram invited Lot to move into his own space, his own land as there was strife between Abram’s workmen and Lots workmen. Verse 9 says, (Abram speaking) “Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
Lot opened his eyes and he saw well watered flat lands and settled there. Interestingly, verse 14 says “And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward and westward, for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever.
In Chapter 26, Abram has died and Isaac is now the man of the moment. He settles in a place called Gerar, land of the Philistines. God speaks to him and says “I will be with thee and will bless thee, for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries….”. As Isaac lived there, his wealth increased and the Philistines envied him. There were wells that his father dug and the Philistines filled them up with earth. Eventually, Abimelech, the King of Gerar tells him to get out. So he peacefully relocates to the valley of Gerar. Even then, he dug two more wells and the men of Gerar made confusion over the wells saying “the water is ours”. Isaac moves out from them again and goes elsewhere and digs another well, finally finding peace.
God had a plan to execute through Abram and later through his son, Isaac. To execute this plan, he needed them to be alone at certain times, he needed them to have their own space, he needed them to be able to function without obvious distractions. As he guides them to take action, we see their approach as one of peace, ready to let go of their weights and do what is required, even though it meant giving up an investment. Maybe God wants you to let go some of the people in your life, maybe you need to offer them the greener pastures, maybe you need to be a peacemaker and say “you can have it”; it is only material possession anyhow. For others, maybe you are the one to physically move out so that God could show you what he has in store for you. As we take action, remember to do so in a peaceful and gentle spirit. Once we understand that God is speaking to us through a particular circumstance to move out or let go, and you believe you can trust him with your future, there will be peace.
Letting go can be hard, giving up precious possession could be heartbreaking, but sometimes we need to in order to gain greater.
