Genesis 13: Subtraction Could Mean Addition

[MUSIC] Welcome to chapter by chapter four year journey through the greatest book given to the human race, the Word of God, the Bible. And we get to go through it chapter by chapter seven minutes a day, seven days a week. Join us each day and share it with the others so they can join this journey that will be life changing. We'll stop at unexpected places on the journey and be challenged. Some verses will create awe and wonder. We'll even have chapters that will be instructive and others will find joy and comfort. We'll occasionally be convicted and want to change but all in all the journey will be worth it. Once in a while we may take a detour on the journey. We'll hear from some of God's servants on their favorite passage from a chapter of scripture and let them give you their insight. Every journey needs a small detour occasionally. The best way to get the most from this podcast is read that Bible chapter we're discussing before after. It's his word that transforms. You'll find more and see more than I can ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter and today's chapter is Genesis 13. Relationships are important and relationships can be detrimental to everyone's life. There is great benefits when you're walking with the right people and there could be great hurts and wounds if you're with the wrong people. I don't remember who said this but it's so true. When Satan wants to mess with you he sends the wrong people into your life and when God wants to bless you he sends the right people into your life. Abraham was called by God for a faith journey that would change the world. Abraham also got an unexpected traveling companion for this faith journey. He didn't anticipate it. It was his nephew who was a lot. The son of his brother who unexpectedly died. I think the first verse of Genesis 13 adds the unexpected traveling partner. Listen to it Genesis 13 1. So Abraham went up from Egypt to the Negev. He and his wife and all that belonged to him and lot with him. It just seems those four words are tagged on and lot with him. Abraham would show kindness and bring lot with them out of Iran but when God calls you to a faith journey he'll also start to remove people that will hinder the call of God and to the place that he's taking you. You must be aware when it's time to cut people loose when it's time to separate. You'll realize that subtraction of a relationship may really mean addition to more of the blessing of God. You're going to see this principle in the Lot Abraham relationship and separation. Verse 1 says and lot with him and a few verses later in verse 9. You'll hear these words. Please separate from me. What started the subtraction of this relationship. There are times that we will find that the hardest separation is with those who we call family. People we think that just because we are family they are exempt from subtraction. I've seen toxic come from the same womb. If you choose God's plan there will come subtraction of relationships. Abraham didn't hear God say separate but saw what was happening. Sometimes you don't need a voice from heaven like Abraham did to get started but you need to open your eyes to what's happening around you. Sometimes a voice to move forward and sometimes just being alert to constant issues and problems. It all started when Abraham saw this in Genesis 13 6 through 7 and the land could not sustain them while they dwell together. For their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together and there was strife. So when you realize that what they are gathering and the space that they are occupying in your world it can no longer sustain both of you. Their stuff and their baggage is cluttering up your life vision and strife comes from them. When their stuff leaks over onto your property it may be time to separate. When their poor decisions and poor relationships start affecting your household, your children, your marriage, DNA or not it may be time to separate. You're calling in your future is too important to be cluttered with someone else's junk. I'm not really sure that lot understood that he was not the one being blessed but he was walking with a blessed man. I've seen this time and time again, people see what they have as they're doing in my possessions and I think I can do this now by myself. What they did was they left the covering that was taking care of them and the blessing that was over them. Lot was blessed because Abraham was blessed. When you are led by God you will have to make decisions before they become a crisis. Abraham separated from Lot and the place Lot chose to put up his new tent was a pretty famous place. Listen to it. Abraham settled in the land of Canaan while Lot settled in the cities of the valley and he moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. Lot would have brought Sodomites into the faith camp of Abraham if he didn't make a hard but wise decision to separate earlier. This is so key about subtraction of people in our lives for our faith journey in order to go forward. When it happens edition now comes and a new vision comes as soon as Lot and Abraham choose their separate directions as soon as they choose how they would live their lives one in faith and the other with sinners. God steps in for Abraham. Listen to these incredible words in verse 14. The Lord said to Abraham, "After Lot had separated from him, now lift up your eyes. Look from the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward, westward. For all the land which you see I'm going to give it to you into your descendants forever. I'm going to make your descendants as the dust of the earth so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth then your descendants can also be numbered. Arise, walk about the land through its length and breath for I will give it to you. Don't miss how the edition kicks in." The Bible says "After Lot separated from him, God spoke." This relationship with Lot was holding back the next faith steps for Abraham. This Lot relationship was holding back the next blessing. Lot's junk was cluttering Abraham's life and if he didn't separate from Lot he would have gotten cluttered with Sodomites. It exceedingly wicked sinners. When Abraham finally ripped the band-aid and said, "Let's go separate ways." God said, "Now lift up your eyes." Now means you couldn't before but now you can. Someone and something was hindering you seeing further and farther. God says, "I'm going to give you land and longevity and descendants." He tells them later on in Genesis that the sand and the stars can't be counted and neither will your posterity. God couldn't talk about sand and stars, land and forever, with a distracted Abraham. Now it's all different. Edition of the blessing of God is wonderful. Subtraction of the wrong relationships. That's pretty difficult. Every faith journey will call for subtraction at different periods. This is so you can now lift up your eyes, eyes and attention that have been so focused horizontally that you haven't realized the additions for the future come from a vertical look. If people don't help me look up and all they do is help me to see horizontally, subtraction is inevitable. One of the hardest decisions you will face on the faith journey is choosing whether to walk away or to try harder to keep somebody in your life. I'm afraid many are trying harder when God is saying walk away. They don't allow you to look up and see the stars. Thank God Abraham saw the stars. Thanks for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book, the Bible, the Word of God. Seven minutes a day, seven days a week. We'll we'll see you tomorrow.