July 28, 2026:

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? You have given me no children; so, a servant in my household will be my heir.‘” (Genesis 15.2-3)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Abram has just experienced a great victory over the enemy of Lot and many kings. Even though those kings may not have been just, the one they joined forces against was even more unjust. His rule was devastating to the human condition of those in the Jordan River valley. His unrighteousness was known to everyone. We can have no doubt that it was known to God as well. And though every person is a child of God, the offspring of those whom He had made from the beginning, not every person lays claim to the legacy which comes by having faith and putting that faith into believing they are one of the people of God. We all struggle to have our place in the world. We all have a yearning to be connected to something greater than ourselves. Such connection identifies us as worthy of belonging and far beyond just existing. Even to truly believe in ourselves takes a courage that rises from having faith in God who fully defines who we are by whose we are. We cannot truly understand ourselves by any other means. This for me, and I believe it to be so for all of us not just those who are mighty men (and women) of God, is the best understanding and application of the teaching which Jesus gave His disciples saying, “I am the way, the truth and the life; by no other can a person enter into the presence of God and live forever.” It is a confession even Satan understands and loathes. It is because of his arrogant pride and ego alone which causes him to blaspheme the Holy Spirit and deny the Jesus is the Christ of God and the perfect sacrifice by which all people are able to be one with God. What must it be like to be so sold out to the lie that choosing to live the lie is far better than living out the truth. Yet, it is a decision made by far too many throughout the course of history under Satan’s influence. It was a lie born in the very courts of heaven and borne by Lucifer who exchanged glory for darkness, righteousness for sin, life for death. How and why Lucifer hated himself and God so much is not revealed. The consequence of that decision, however, is witnessed daily. It is that consequence, so visible to believers and unbelievers alike, that the Church must bear witness even more deliberately to what is “the way, the truth and the life.” It is the choice to believe and to act in faith exchanging darkness for glory, sin for righteousness and death for life. This is exactly what Jesus bore witness to on the cross of calvary on a hill far away above Jerusalem! There was no other means by which He could defeat the unrighteous ruler of the land who terrorized and tormented the people of God so powerfully that they believed they could live without God. Except they didn’t really believe, they feared him instead of fearing God.

So hear again what happened when Abram defeated the enemy who had captured his nephew Lot as spoils of war in his battle against the kings of rebellion. It was the King of Salem, a chief high priest of Almighty God, who came to give thanks for what Abram had done. Abram acted out of a perfect faith to demonstrate his love for Lot. It was he same faith he demonstrated for his love of God. How and why he fell in love with God is a story only Abram can tell. Perhaps in Heaven we will hear it. But for now we see how Abram struggled to live in out successfully and unsuccessfully throughout his life on earth. In the end, Abram surrendered to that faith and belief and love for God above all else. Jesus did, too, and so, too, must we. That is why Abram returned to Melchizedek the tithe of what all had been given. It signified his understanding of victory at the hands of God. It would be for that reason he would refuse a similar “offering” from the King of Sodom. It did not honor God. The King of Sodom only wanted to honor himself and was willing to use Abram to validate that decision. It was a costly one for Abram but the only option his faith would allow. As to those whom Abram allowed to receive a reward, those who fought with him because they were aligned to him, the choice would be their own. The presentation in scripture would lead us to believe they accepted what the King of Sodom offered and with it a debt they could not repay. They could not have experienced the victory if not for the faith of Abram to do what was right in the eyes of Almighty God.

And that leads us to the query of Abram when the King of Salem and Sodom, so diametrically opposed, were gone. A great sacrifice was made on his part to win the victory. We might read verse 14.24 as listing the only survivors of the 318 who stood with Abram in the battle against the wicked king. There were only three: Aner, Eschol and Mamre. The sacrifice of men, friends, neighbors, legacies of families cut short and the expense to cover the battle. For Abram the cost was non-negotiable because of his love for God and Lot. It did not stop the longing and the burden of the grief. As others had lost fathers and sons and a future for their families, so now Abram was confronted with the absence of his own heir. Was he feeling vulnerable in this time of victory won with a great cost? Did he experience because of the grief of his cohorts, neighbors and friends, his own mortality? Was he suddenly more aware of what he did not have in the midst of the promise which God had given him in the Ur of the Chaldees and again at Haran? And as he stood alone, God came to him (verse 15.1) and answered that unspoken prayer “Abram, do not fear the future, I AM sovereign, a shield of protection and a reward beyond measure.” All of that became the backdrop which defines Abram’s lament which stands before us not only in Genesis 15.2-3, but in our moment of quiet and struggle gazing into the future based on our commitment of faith in God, “What can you give me in this world!” That will be tomorrow’s reflection.

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.