2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 29

We begin the fifth week of Great Lent with a reminder of the sinfulness of humanity and the promise of God for salvation. By the time the week is over we will witness another cycle of sin, destruction, promise, and salvation. For today, God has promised to Abram all the land he could see. He promised to Abram that his descendants would also inherit the land. We are part of that promise.

Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.  Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.  The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever.  I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted.  Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”  So Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the LORD.

Genesis 13:12-18

It is important to remember that we read the Old Testament through the eyes of the Resurrected Christ. That means we already know what will happen in the story. The purpose of our Daily Lenten Journey isn’t to learn what happens in the Old Testament. It is to allow our understanding of the Old Testament to help us today.

What I invite you to consider from today’s passage is simple. God made Abram a promise, and Abram responded by moving. He never stood still, neither physically nor spiritually. With every move, Abram built an altar to God, and worshipped Him. With every move, God honored Abram with more blessings. It was a mutual relationship.

God has made you a promise. Have you moved into action yet, or are you still sitting (spiritually speaking) where you were last year and the year before. Movement is part of the agreement. We are moving from earth to heaven. At every stop, we worship at God’s altar. In response to our movement, God blesses us and then challenges us to move further, never sitting still.

Yesterday we spoke about climbing the Ladder of Divine Ascent. Today we are talking about relocating our hearts to be with God in the land of promise. If you focus only on the passages as you read them in Genesis, you don’t benefit from the whole picture.

Focusing only on the now, you will only think God keeps moving the goal posts. In reality, He is taking you on a journey through one place to another, from death to life. Trust Him like Abram trusted Him. As He blessed Abram, He will bless you.