Genesis 12:1-2 KJV
[1] Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
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[2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Why do some people carry loads that slow them down in their journey to the Glory Land? Why do some people attach themselves to things the Lord has not apportioned them to? Why do some people sentimentally get themselves hooked to friends, relatives, relations and fiancés and fiancees that they know would not give them good marital fulfillment in life?
The Lord had told Abraham to leave his father’s house to the Land He would show to him. The Lord said, He would make him great and bless his name, if he would obey HIs voice. ABRAHAM obeyed all the commands EXCEPT ONE. He took LOT, his brother’s so along with him. And they journeyed to the land of Canaan.
Genesis 12:5 KJV
[5] And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all
their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
LOT was never in the picture of the inheritance the Lord had promised to give to Abraham, God never told ABRAHAM to leave his father’s land with Lot, his brother’s son. He was to depart only with his wife and his household. So, the journey of Abraham to Canaan land was full of contention between his herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. There was no peace.
Genesis 13:6-8 NKJV
[6] Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.
[7] And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.
[8] So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.
These contentions and disagreement continued between the two families until ABRAHAM decided to release Lot to part from from. He brought him out to the field and told him to look around and choose any part of the land the he wanted and he would take the other part, that there may not be fight anymore between the two sets of herdsmen. Lot lifted up his eyes and chose the seemingly fertile part of the land full of grasses for his cattle and left the other dry part for Abraham. So they parted peacefully.
NOT UNTIL LOT PARTED FROM ABRAHAM DID GOD CAME AGAIN TO ABRAHAM TO RECONFIRM HIS COVENANT WITH HIM.
Genesis 13:14-17 NKJV
[14] And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are-northward, southward, eastward, and westward;
[15] for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.
[16] And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
[17] Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”
BUT WHY WAS IT THAT GOD COULD NOT COME AND RECONFIRM THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM WHEN LOT WAS THERE?
While Lot was with him, there was contentions and fight; there was hidden agenda; there was no genuine love from Lot to Abraham. There were internal dissatisfactions on the part of Lot and there was sadness and lack of fulness of joy on the part of Abraham because of the behavior of the herdsmen of Lot.
While Lot was with Abraham, God did not reconfirm his covenant. The presence of Lot served Abraham no good. He had no progress, but stagnancy. GOD DID NOT TELL HIM TO GO WITH ANYONE ELSE. It was a Sentimental Baggage on the journey of establishing a future generation of God’s People. Even, Lot was not included in the inheritance given to Abraham and his seed by God. ABRAHAM OUGHT NOT TO HAVE INVITED LOT ON THE JOURNEY. HE WAS A SENTIMENTAL BAGGAGE.
It was true the Lord called you and made a covenant with you; he called you and made many promises to you, but WHO HAVE YOU INCLUDED IN THE JOURNEY OF YOUR MINISTRY that might have been serving as Agent of Distractions to your ministry?
Who are you not supposed to take along with you in your marital journey? Who are the friends that would slow down your christian race you are not supposed to travel this journey with. THEY ARE YOUR SENTIMENTAL BAGGAGES ON THIS JOURNEY, AND THE JOURNEY WILL NOT BE SMOOTH UNTIL THEY ARE DISENGAGED SOMEHOW.
Some Sisters have attached themselves to a fiancée the Lord had rejected, but they sentimentally attached to him or her, because they were afraid of what the people or relations would say, therefore, they had to keep going that way till they marry.
Who are the companions you must disengaged from, in order for you to move on in the programs and agenda of God. Who are those hindering the renewal and reconfirmation of the Lord’s covenant and promises in your life? Who are those you are unnecessarily sentimentally attached to that had no value to your spiritual life? Lot added no value to the life and journey of Abraham. The Lord God could not reconfirm his promise to Abraham till Lot had chosen what he thought as “the best part of the land” and departed.
It was Abraham who made the move for Lot to move on and depart from him. He paid the price by allowing him to chose wherever he liked. After then, the Lord came and renewed the covenant. I want to implore you not to hesitate to identify friends, colleagues, relations and family members whose presence in your life spells retardation and stagnancy, whose friendship and companionship with you reduce your zeal for God, or fade your visions for your calling. WEED THEM OFF.
Weed your gardens. Remove all weeds so that the valuables could grow well.
Source: Evang. Mike Bamiloye
Aphorism CITY 