Wed.’s Devo - Renewing the Covenant

Read: Genesis 13:5-15:21; Matthew 5:27-48; Psalm 6:1-10; Proverbs 1:29-33 Lot had become rich and materially blessed like Abraham and their servants began to fight over land for their flocks. Lot and Abraham met and decided they needed to split and go separate ways. Abraham gave Lot first pick of the land. Lot chose the fertile valleys that were already civilized with cities. The problem was the people living in the cities were extremely wicked. After Lot left, God spoke to Abraham and gave him all the land including Lot’s as far as he could see. He promised him that his descendants would be countless. Abraham’s commission was to walk his land. Abraham moved to the oak grove belonging to Mamre and built another altar to the Lord. War broke out among the tribes that were tributaries to Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam. They rebelled and fought. These were some of the tribes where Lot lived so he was right in the middle of their war. Lot’s city was captured and he and his family taken as spoil. Abram found out about it and took 318 of his family to get him back. They attacked at night and chased them to Damascus recovering all the goods and people they had taken. On his return home, Abram was met with the king of Sodom and the King of Salem, Melchizedek. (Two kings from two different spiritual kingdoms.) Abram had communion and gave a tithe to God’s High Priest - Melchizedek. Abram refused to take any reward from King of Sodom which was unheard of in that time. God came to Abram later and told him that his reward would be great. What a lesson to learn. God’s rewards are always in the future, but so much greater than what we can get from our enemy right now. Abram could only see the here and now and argued that the only way he could be rewarded in his future was to have an heir. The only heir he had was his servant, Eleazer. God assured him that Eleazer was not his heir. His heir would come from his seed and multiply like the stars in the sky. God had Abram prepare a sacrifice, then came with fire and light and a word to secure it. He told him that his land would span from Egypt to the Euphrates River and he would be given the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Pephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites. That gave Abram something to think about. In Matthew, Jesus continued going through the Ten Commandments giving spirit to the law. It all went back to the heart and soul of the person. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and can be ours by a change of heart and a renewing of our minds. One of the greatest weapons we have is love - not just to those of our spiritual family but our enemies. Ouch! Lord, only through your spirit can we fulfill the law but that is what grace is all about. We pray for your grace to be upon us to do what we cannot do in our humanity.