Experience God’s Grace In Pain

“The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.’ So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD” (Genesis 13:14-18, ESV).

There was a great surprise that happened in my life just before my birthday! A letter from Malacan¯ang Palace, from the Office of the President was delivered to me. So excited to read the letter. It was prepared by the Executive Secretary.

Really I read the letter repeatedly. Even now, I could still read it with excitement. The message is really valuable to me. But, in our time, there is a message for each one us that is more valuable. It came from the Office of the Sovereign King of the Universe. We could find the message in the pages of the Bible.

Some men would try to discredit it. But, not only titans of Christian faith have regarded it highly. Men who occupied respected or important position in the world displayed their firm belief in it. Among them: Blaise Pascal, the French physicist, mathematician, philosopher (1623-1662); Robert Boyle (1627-1691), Irish chemist, best known for Boyle’s law; Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), French military and political leader; Benjamin Franklin, statesman, inventor, printer, and scientist who discovered electricity.

The first President of the United States, George Washington said: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Abraham Lincoln believed that “the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to men. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.”

And if the message of the book is really for you, it’s a display of God’s grace in your life, especially if you are experiencing pain. Realize that grace is not only physical favor we received. It’s God’s favor that we do not deserve -- physical or spiritual, even a favorable way or ability.

Today, we will dwell on our topic, EXPERIENCE GOD’S GRACE IN PAIN, as we focus on our text (Gen. 13:14-18).

What could happen, if the Sovereign God extends His grace to someone? Or, what would you do, if the Supremely Good God works favorably in your life, even when you are in pain?

As we studied the first twelve verses of Genesis 13, we found out some of the choices of Abraham. And like him, we could also make, not only right choices but choices in harmony with the Will of the Sovereign God.

What were the choices of Abraham?

First, he had chosen to value God. Second, he chose to favor others. And third, he chose to have faith.

Now, in our present text (vv. 14-18), aside from making right or godly choices, we will also learn further at least three things that we can do.

And you can only do them, if the Sovereign God extends His favor to you, or His grace is in your life. So, what are those things?

First, you would be…

I – ASPIRING FOR WHAT GOD CONVEYS (vv. 14-15).

We read verses 14-15, “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.’”

Could you imagine the posture – his “emotional posture” -- of Abraham, before he heard the words of God?

He was in great emotional pain. Perhaps, his head was drooping in sadness. It was not easy for him to be separated from Lot. Since Abraham until that time had no child, his nephew, Lot, could have filled that vacuum in his heart.

When God instructed Abraham to go to the promised land, he brought Lot with him. And now that it was necessary for them to be separated to give space for their possessions and avoid strife among their servants, Abraham could truly feel the pain of separation. But as Lot pursued what he coveted -- the attractive place that he saw, Abraham was left with what God could convey to him.

And as if God was saying to him, “Focus, desire, aspire for what I could give you. I could give you greater favors. And I could even give you many children!”

People could suffer various pain of separation, or from losing something or someone of value.