The sounds of a scuffle nearby drew the man’s attention. He waved a hand and his trusted servant appeared at his side. “Go. Find out what the problem is. This time.”

“Yes, my lord.” The servant bowed low and walked quickly towards the sounds of fighting coming from the herders.

Exasperated, the uncle sighed. He had thought it was a good idea to take his young nephew along with him on his ‘destiny-journey.’ His nephew was a good, steady man with a wife and a growing family and needed a fresh start. A fresh start, indeed. The man shook his head. What started out as a fresh start had devolved into daily fights and arguments between the men that worked the fields, who watched the flocks day and night. Fights over land, pasture rights, water. The strife had not yet affected the man’s relationship with his nephew, but it was only a matter of time. As he waited for his servant to return, his mind flashed back to the instructions he had received…

Now, God said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you”. Genesis 12: 1 {New Revised Standard Version}

God told Abram (before he became Abraham) to leave his country AND his kindred and relocate to a place where God would show him. In other words, “Leave your home and your family behind.”

So, Abram went as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Genesis 12:4

And Lot went with him? Those were not the instructions God gave Abram. He did what God asked him - left his home and most of his kindred behind, but then he added on to it; he took Lot.

Initially things seemed to work out; the two men both grew so rich that there wasn’t enough space to hold their flocks. However, their mutual prosperity had a fallout as the herdsmen quarreled amongst themselves all the time.

After a while, Abram made a decision that it would serve them both better if they went their separate ways. Lot chose to go east towards Sodom and Abram went west. A short while later, several Kings declared war on Sodom and captured Lot as a prisoner of war. Abram, Lot's uncle rode out with his men, routed the enemy and delivered his nephew. Eventually, however, Lot lost his wife, home and all his possessions when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Would Lot have lost everything if his uncle hadn't taken him along? Maybe. Maybe not...probably not. Life is full of twist and turns, and some decisions that look like no-brainers in the beginning end up costing us more than we ever expected.

Sometimes, we linger when God has said 'Move!' Sometimes, we pack up and leave when He's saying 'Wait. Just a little longer. I'm working out something.' Hearing from God is imperative if we are to navigate life successfully. Doing what He says is just as important - maybe more.

God gives us instructions for a reason, and it’s important for us to carry out His instructions to the letter. When we don’t, we create consequences either for ourselves or for those around us.

Onyih Odunze

But, He's My Nephew!

Sometimes, we linger when God has said 'Move!' Sometimes, we pack up and leave when He's saying 'Wait. Just a little longer. I'm working out something.' Hearing from God is imperative if we are to navigate life successfully. Doing what He says is just as important - maybe more.

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