July 23, 2026:

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“‘During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.” (Genesis 14.15-16)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

What’s done is done! A deal is a deal! What God says He will do, He will do. And as I suggested yesterday, regardless of all that God does for His sake and our welfare, we still have a responsibility of our own to enact as a part of God’s promise being fulfilled. God is a gracious and good God. He certainly cares and provides for His creation as it is needed with a sense of the much bigger picture in mind. The same can be said for His provision for us, too. Still, we cannot ignore that God is sovereign and we are His people. He most certainly blesses us. There are times when the blessing or blessings are so great, we might accuse God of spoiling us. And then there are those times of despair, poverty (in property and spirit) and disaster when we wonder why God has forsaken us or deprived us of what is needed to survive much less to prosper. The very mention of Solomon’s declaration from God at the consecration of the Temple as recorded in 2 Chronicles 7.14 exposes the mutual relationship of accountability and responsibility between God and His people with that if/then statement. If My people, then I will. Now when Lot left with all that was his and took up residence in the Jordan River Valley which extends into the Sodom Valley, God reaffirmed His covenant with Abram. Lot was not dismissed from the promise. His prosperity and blessing depended upon his willingness to remain under the protection of Abram. Lot may not have considered it that way as he departed over the hill and out to the east. He may have well considered he was free of accountability much like the prodigal son in Luke’s parables of the lost. But such was not the case.

After a time, as much as 14 years, Lot and all that was his was taken captive by the foreign kings who did not recognize God. There were various alliances formed in the Jordan Valley as far north as Damascus and as far south to beyond the Dead Sea (and the possible location of Sodom and Gomorrah.) None of these alliances had moved against Abram. Equally, it would seem that they had not dared to attack the king of Salem, Melchizedek. When word got to Abram that Lot and his family and property had been captured and taken prisoner, Abram called for his alliances and 384 men joined together to free Lot. It was an extended battle covering nearly 260 miles. Abram and his expert forces were successful and Lot and all that was his was recovered. It was Abram’s responsibility to be accountable for all that had been given him. That included the supervision of the whole territory. While this may not have been Abram’s desire, it became a reality. His position as a deliverer was recognized by the King of Sodom as well as the King of Salem who paid tribute to Abram for his protection and deliverance.

Mighty ones of God, we, too, must consider our own appointed accountability and responsibility as heads of families, industries, communities and offices which become ours. It is by our created giftedness as well as our called out place within God’s kingdom on earth that we must lead. We may think that we are only followers, and independent contractors of a life of faith. This is not the case. We are followers of Christ but leaders of people. We must execute God’s justice and abide by mercy and grace. We do not do it for recognition, or should not, but do it because it is our calling to bring God the glory and to live into and up to our part of God’s covenant: You will be My people and I will be your God.

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.