22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "With raisedhand I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God MostHigh, Creator of heaven and earth, - P135
23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not evena thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will neverbe able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.‘
- P135
24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eatenand the share that belongs to the men who went with me-to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share." - P135
Melchizedek rightly understands that Abram‘s victory is theresult of God‘s blessing upon his life.
- P136
When we walk in the call of the Lord,
God will continue to reassure us
with His presence and promises.
- P136
Let us be expectant that God can turn
even the most fleeting, barely noticeable
occurrences into a great blessing. - P136
In contrast to the joyful celebration and divine blessing that Abram en-joys with Melchizedek, the king of Sodom comes to engage in worldlybusiness. - P136
Again we see Abram rise to the occasion and remain stead-fast in his belief that God alone is the source of true blessing. - P136
Abram‘s refusal of the king ofSodom‘s
wealth serves to reinforce his deep and
unyielding dependence upon God. - P136
Wisely, Abram also makes sure that
the men who fought alongside him receive their due reward. - P136
Sometimes God calls us to forgo what
may be immediately profitable to us so that He can bless us with something greater later. - P136
Let us trust that He will complete His good work in us! - P136
We see that Abram‘s relationship with Melchizedek was much deeper,
such that he even gave him a tenth of his possessionsin an act of radical generosity. - P137
In some sense, Melchizedek representsthe kingdom of God and the king of Sodom represents the kingdomof this world. - P137
Over the course of our lives, we will encounter many instances where
we have the opportunity to make a quick profit or gratify our immediate desires,
but these often require some small compromise on our convictions
and spiritual goals. - P137
It is during those times that we must
remember that, like Abram, God asks us to trust that His ways will
ultimately prove to be better than anything the world can offer. - P137
Whatever choices or decisions you
face today, reaffirm your commitment to
seek first the kingdom and righteousness of God, and everything else will be added
to you as well! - P137
Teach meto remain faithful to You in every circumstance and help me cling to Yourpromises above my immediate comfort. In Jesus‘ name, amen. - P137
Women in the slum brothels of Kampala,
Uganda, are learning that God has not for-gotten them; there is hope and redemption intheir life stories. - P6
[NIV] 1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abramshield,
in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am youryour very great reward." - P138
5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky andcount the stars-if indeed you can count them." Thenhe said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
- P138
7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who broughtyou out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land totake possession of it." - P139
Abram risked everything to rescue Lot, which may have reminded himthat he has no son of his own to inherit his estate. - P140
To rekindle Abram‘s faith,
God instructs him to look at the stars in the sky as another reminder of
the multitude of descendants
he will one day have.
- P140
Abram takes God at His Word: He can and will do the impossible.
Surely, this step of faith can only come from God Himself. His step of
faith becomes the model for all who would be saved through the gospel. - P140
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