“Lift Up Your Eyes”

Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."

So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

Genesis 13:10-18

There are two kinds of people in our world, those focused on the here and now, and those focused on the future eternally.

Abraham had that far-focused look. That is what enabled him to give up a piece of well-watered land by the Jordan. He knew God had something better for him later on. The LORD told him to look in all directions, as far as he could see, and then said that his family would someday have it all.

Live for Jesus, and you will live for eternity.

Our Daily Bread – September 18, 2009