“Lot chose for himself…” (Genesis 13:5-11).
My
friend Archie came home from vacation one year to find that his
neighbor had erected a sturdy six feet high wooden fence five feet
inside his property line. Several weeks went by during which Archie
tried to work with his neighbor to remove the fence.
He
offered to help move the fence and to split the cost of the move. To no
avail. Archie could have appealed to civil authorities—right was on his
side—but he chose to forgo that right and allow the fence to stand—to
show the world something of the grace of God.
"Archie is a wimp!" You say. No, he was man of towering strength, but he chose grace over a little patch of grass
I
think of Abraham and Lot, who fell into conflict because their flocks
and herds overwhelmed the land. "There was strife between the herdsmen
of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. The Canaanites
and the Perizzites (the unbelieving community) then dwelt in the land."
So
Abram said to Lot, “Is not the whole land before you? Please separate
from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you
go to the right, then I will go to the left. Lot lifted his eyes and saw
all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere...So Lot
chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And
they separated from each other."
Lot
chose the best of the land and lost everything—even his soul. Abraham
took what was left over and gained the entire world. (Genesis 12:12-17).
We do have rights and we can insist
upon them. Or we can choose to set them aside to show the world a
better way. This is what the Bible calls "meekness”—not weakness, but
strength under God's control.
Lord, I have fallen again—a human clod!
Selfish I was, and heedless to offend;Stood on my rights. Thy own child would not sendAway his shreds of nothing for the whole God!Wretched, to thee who savest, low I bend:Give me the power to let my rag-rights goIn the great wind that from thy gulf doth blow. —George MacDonald
David Roper
E-musings are archived at http://davidroper.blogspot.com
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