Genesis 23:19-20

So we see that Abraham purchased the field from Ephron.  The field was in Machpelah, literally translated “Portion”.  Interestingly the only portion of the Promised Land that God had allowed Abraham to actually own was the plot of land in which he buried his love and greatest desires.  As time would pass this area would become the place where his sons and daughters to follow would lay to rest as well. 

So too, the only thing we really possess, or the “Portion” we’ve been bestowed with here on earth is the free will to bury our ambitions and greatest desires safely into the hands of the author and perfector of our lives.  As we purpose our lives to be submitted to God’s will we will see that His blessings and promise will expand into the lives of our children and on and on it goes. 

As Abraham set that example and received the portion the trees of Mamre, translated “strength” became the place where God met and blessed Abraham’s children.  In the same way the places in which we bury our will and say, “Lord your will be done” are the places that God will bless and meet us, and as our children follow suite they will experience the same with the Lord.  What seemed like death to our greatest love and desires will become the launch pad for abundant and blessed life not only for us but for many to follow. 

Abraham didn’t fully see the fulfillment of God’s promise in his lifetime, but his kids did.  Because of his example and the way he laid all things to rest in the portion of the Lord, the generations to follow entered into the fulfillment of the Promised Land.  Listen up parents, as you obey the Lord and lay to rest your personal desires and ambitions, as you deeply invest into the Lord and the portion He’s given you, you’ll see that your children will follow suite and will receive the fulfilled promises and blessings. 

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth…Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

Hebrews 11:13-16

Don’t be discouraged folks; God isn’t slack on His promises.  You might not see all of the fruit of your life here and now, perhaps your children will see the blessing where you had to experience the death; the wonderful truth is God has prepared something abundantly more wonderful in heaven.  As we are faithful to receive this portion and invest into it we will see the return for eternity.

Genesis 12:8-9

If you had the chance to invite anyone to dinner, who would it be?

Sometimes while on the road I ask myself random questions like this. I find myself imagining what it would be like to sit down in a local diner with a guy like Abram. Sure people might stare at his threads and unkept facial hair, but I reckon he would probably be one of the most interesting and heartwarming guys to share a cup of Joe with. Think about it, the man that we’re reading about at the moment is one of the rare few throughout the history of mankind to have journeyed to the inner circle of friendship with God. I would love to listen to what went on in his heart and mind while becoming “God’s friend” as the bible refers to him. Most people through history have barely bothered to even acknowledge God much less be His friend. The story of Abram is such a pleasure to read, it stands as the detailed trailblazer of how to abide intimately with God. As I read the word and witness the life of guys like Abram play out, it only stokes the combustion of passion for the Lord in my own heart.

We saw Abram’s response to God’s promise in verse 7, now we see what follows after the reminders have been established and the worship has been given. Abrams life and family go south.

I’ve often experienced the same thing in my walk with the Lord, I hear God’s voice, everything seems so awesome and I’m worshipping Him, and not soon after I set a memorial of the moment to remind myself of God’s promise, my circumstances take an ugly turn south. I believe this is of the Lord; He will lead us through a turn for the worse in life only to test and approve our character.

Why?

Because our time here on earth is only a preparation and molding for eternity in heaven.

Starting in Ur, which is translated flame, Abram travels just under 200 miles from the northwest coast of the Persian Gulf. He then hikes it about 600 miles northwest to Haran, meaning Mountaineer or Mountain. From Haran he traveled another few hundred miles southwest to the land of Canaan, meaning lowland. Passing through Canaan Abram now pitches his tent between Bethel, translated House of God, and Ai, meaning ruin. Abram’s life has been a long road, He’s been through the fiery suffering of loss, climbed the mountains of disappointment where he first began to hear God, then “Passes through” the lowlands only to hear God speak more blessing, and now he’s dwelling between God’s house and utter Ruin. On our own travels towards a deeper relationship with the Lord I believe all of us hit these places along the way. Life sometimes gets a bit fiery as we set out from the familiar to the unknown areas of faith. Then we seem to climb up and over the mountains to draw close to God and hear His voice in our personal lives. As we grow, circumstances in life sometimes bring us low, leaving us smack between God’s house and the utter ruin of our old natural life.

Not only does God allow us to suffer in life for our own character growth and development, but He allows us to go through the fire to be a living testimony to those around us. As Christians people are always watching us to see if the God we believe in is real. They want proof, and the way we walk through life is God’s way of displaying His truth to them. When Abram went through the ringer, He didn’t cave in and complain, He took the opportunity to proclaim God’s goodness to all those around. He “called on the name of the Lord”. The Hebrew suggests a public proclamation; Abram was literally the first dude in the Bible to be known for street evangelism. Even though he had every reason to complain, even though he seemed like the only guy seeking the Lord in the grossly idolatrous culture of Canaan (Genesis 15:16), Abram chose to praise the Lord and proclaim the good news to everyone watching and listening. In the same way, Jesus had every reason to complain, He was perfectly righteous in a fallen world, He was mistreated and life was hard…but He chose instead to Praise His Father, and proclaim to all the good news of salvation…in fact He laid down His life so we might see and follow His example in our own difficult circumstances.

You see all of us are between Bethel and Ai on earth. We’re between the House of God and Ruin. Abe chose to give glory to God when it got tough…what about you? When given life’s lemons are you surrendering those lemons on the altar and allowing God to alter your lemons to lemonade? Or are you just gripping those lemons and complaining about your sour situation?

It’s your choice.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:1-2