Abraham
became great in the act of surrender.
After his long odyssey, Abraham finally made it to the land of Canaan. His nephew Lot had come with him, and they had both done very well. In fact, they had so many flocks and herds that the land could not support them both. Their herdsmen were quarrelling, and Abraham decided it was time they go their separate ways.
Even though Abraham was the elder, and Lot owed any success he’d had to his uncle, Abraham did not exercise his right to choose which land would be his. Instead, he said to his nephew, “Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left” (Gen. 13:9).
Lot looked east and saw the well-watered plain of the Jordan, with the cosmopolitan cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He made his choice. Abraham assented.
Abraham didn’t just “give in” to Lot. His surrender went much deeper. He laid down his will, his right to choose, in order to find a greater will and a higher choice. In the spiritual realm, the act of surrender is pure power—higher power. Just ask anyone in a Twelve Step program. When we lay down our small and fearful little agenda, God is free to give us “power from on high” (Luke 24:39).
And look how the story ends:
Lot “pitched his tents toward Sodom” (Gen. 13:12), where eventually of course he wound up, and was caught in the destruction of it all. And what of Abraham?
The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. . . . So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord (Gen. 13:14-17).
COMPANIONS ON THE WAY
Introduction
Stories of Turning
Week One
Stories of Wild Places
Week Two
Stories of Dogged Faith
Week Three
Stories of Mercy & Forgiveness
Week Four
Stories of Simplicity & Joy
Week Five
Stories of Prayer & Surrender
Week Six
Stories of Transforming Love
It’s easier to surrender when I do NOT have options. Surrender is truly trusting God. Although that’s my desire, I know I would have naturally followed the worldly ways of hierarchy and choice. Even if I sought to be more humble, and had GIVEN Lot the better pasture, that would’ve still been retaining control.
True surrender’s immediate effects were not desirable for Abraham (or for me ). Trusting God for the undesirable long haul is tough!
Thank you for this insight.
I didn’t ever perceive it…..just like I can’t perceive what God will do if I ( manage ) to surrender.
Love your honesty, Ann. I think most of us don’t have what it takes to surrender. I’ve surrendered in my life all right—but almost always when I was forced to—not because my heart was so pure! The good news is, all of that (is my heart pure? Etc. etc.) matters a lot to our little egos, but God doesn’t give two pins how we get to surrender—as long as we get there.