Keeping Your Eyes Open

PP0807 DATE

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!

Genesis 13:1-18

Ge 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD. (KJV)

INTRODUCTION: A blind man walked into Wal-mart one day with his seeing eye dog. He stopped at one of the aisles and then reached down picking the dog up by the tail and began swinging it around and around, and the put it back on the floor. Someone asked him what that was all about and he responded, “I was just looking around.”

That’s what God has instructed Abraham to do in these Scripture verses. “Look around you. What do you see?” Abraham was instructed to look to (1) the North – (2) the South – (3) the East – and (4) the West. This pinpoints the spot where Abraham was at that moment. He was right in the spot where all four directions came together. That is where you are today. Wherever you stand that is the center point of the earth for you. The point where you are now is the point where God can use you – bless you – change you or save you.

God wanted Abraham to see where he was. Look from the place where thou art, or realize where we are. Before a person can be helped in any matter or problem he/she must understand where they are or what the problem is.

A lost person must admit he is a sinner. When a person accepts the truth about sin then he can be helped and directed to God. In my years of ministry I have found it hard to get a person to admit they are a sinner.

An alcoholic must admit he has a problem. Same thing – he must admit that he cannot help himself and is willing to allow someone to help him.

A thief must admit he is a thief.

A dope addict must admit he has a problem.

The pedophile must admit he is a molester.

This was a sad time for Abraham. Lot had chosen the well watered plains over the family ties that he had with Uncle Abraham. Lot was all the family Abraham had. Everyone else had died. He and Sarah had not had children yet. Abraham was depressed. Now Lot has chosen something above his love and devotion to Abraham. Often times following the will of God can be very lonely. There are times when no one understands what you are doing. Many may oppose the approach you are taking to a certain problem, and have turned against you, or it can be like the “Lot situation” – just turn their back on you for something more appealing. Paul felt somewhat the same way – in 2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,…… (KJV)

Here Abraham is with his head hanging down and kicking rocks and thinking there is no one in the whole world who cares for me in the least.

God told Abraham to look to the north, the south, the east, and the west. There was his answer. What was it that God was telling Abraham? He was telling Abraham that he was right in the center of the everything including the will of God. He was centered in the presence of God – and God was telling him that He knew where he was and what was going on. It wasn’t the end of the world – there is still much good that is going to happen. Yes, Lot had just made a bad decision, but God was still leading Abraham, and things couldn’t be rosier – so Abraham, “KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN”. Look around you and what do you see?

I. LOOK TO THE NORTH –

What is to be seen by looking North? The Source Of Salvation

A. God Is Referred To As Being In The North. Ps. 48:1-2. Ps 48:1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. (KJV)