DCLM Daily Manna 2023: DCLM Daily Manna 5 June 2024: Let There Be No Strife
KEY VERSE: “And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.” Genesis 13:8
TEXT: Genesis 13:1-12 (KJV)
1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
A story was told about two ladies in a train coach arguing about the window. One claimed she would die of heatstroke unless it was opened. The other said she would die of pneumonia if it was not kept closed. The ladies called the conductor, who was at a loss as to how to solve the problem. It was then that the stranger sitting with them in the coach spoke up. “First, open the window. That will kill one. Then close it. That will kill the other. Then we will have peace.” His suggestion sounds absurd since we do not need to kill to resolve conflicts.
As observed in the text for consideration today, the love and desire for peace made Abraham give Lot, his cousin, the right of first choice, though the latter had profited immensely from him. Lot chose what appeared to be the best part of the lands available but still Abraham was content.
Christians must be willing to suffer loss, belittlement, and deprivation of legitimate opportunities for the sake of peace. Strife or contention, has been a significant cause of disunity among chief friends. Though strife can be avoided, many allow squabbles to linger until significant damage is done. Strife hinders progress and results in disharmony, disaffection and regrets. The effects of strife are not limited to the originators but have staggering ripple effects on many other people who may be innocent of the root cause of the problems.
Strife is a feature of the unregenerated heart and could also be found among spiritual people if they are not watchful. Human agencies hardly find lasting solutions to conflicts because it is a heart issue. We must ask God for the operation of His Spirit to regenerate and make us peace lovers and peacemakers.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Strife is better nipped in the bud than at harvest time!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 16-20
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Let There Be No Strife – by Pastor W.F Kumuyi
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Daily Manna 5 June 2024
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