The Source Of Blessing

The Source Of Blessing

[Abram] recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Genesis 14:16

Lot and his people were captured and carried off by enemies, but Abram rescued them. After suffering this great defeat, Lot had his land and possessions restored to him through Abram’s efforts. This was far more than he had hoped. Similarly, people in the world today receive good things because Christians are living faithfully on the earth. So we should be encouraged and comforted when we see God’s blessings. It proves that the church is still present on earth and that God’s people, though small in number, haven’t disappeared completely. It’s for the sake of Christians that God shows his grace to everyone in the world.

Unbelievers do just the opposite. They think they are responsible for the blessings they receive, attributing all good things to their own wisdom and efforts. In their misplaced self-confidence, they indulge in their pleasures, getting drunk and gorging themselves as arrogantly as did the people of Sodom. In the end, they will receive the punishment they deserve, while God’s people will remain securely in his care.

Furthermore, this passage makes us aware that devout Christians will always suffer in this world. Their lives are filled with problems, but it’s precisely these problems that help them to become holier and more righteous. In all things, even problems and troubles, “God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called” (Romans 8:28). Suffering kills the sinful nature, strengthens faith, and allows the gifts of the Holy Spirit to multiply.