The Other Side

Silly Cow - doesn't it see the full pasture it's standing in? 

Do you remember the story of Abraham and his nephew, Lot.    Like any great uncle, Abraham agreed to take his nephew, Lot, on a great adventure.   Abraham didn't know exactly where they were going, because God just said, "Go to a land I will show you," but he did know that he was going.    Lot tagged along and prospered in the journey, as Abraham also prospered, so much so that it came to a point where they were going to have to part ways.   Abraham (known as Abram in those days) said to Lot, "If you go left, I'll go right.  If you go right, I'll go left," and gave Lot the pick of the land.   Lot looked and saw the plushest, most beautiful land on one side and a wilderness on the other, so he did what any noble, humble, grateful nephew would do, and took the wilderness.   Ya, right!   Lot took the beautiful, plush land and left his uncle with the dry dust of the wilderness.   (This story is found in Genesis 13, in case you're wondering).

At first glance, it appears that Abraham got completely screwed, left with "worst" land.    I can imagine that Abraham stood there, feeling a little dejected, wondering what God was planning to do with all this dusty ground as he watched Lot take his family, flocks and possessions over to the "other side".    As if reading his mind, God speaks to Abraham, "after Lot had separated from him: 'Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward;  for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.'"  

How much would that promise have meant had Abraham been standing in the lush green grass with no dust to be seen?   God knew that Lot was going to choose the green side, but He still remembered His promise to Abraham.   In the midst of the "dusty wilderness", God breathed life.   Instead of seeing a barren wasteland, Abraham saw a fruitful land as he reached out for the promise of God.    

As you read further in Genesis, you discover that the "beautiful land of the Jordan" and the city in which Lot chose to dwell were destroyed completely, and Lot was left with nothing but his family (and only part of that), while Abraham thrived and continued to grow and prosper.  

I think of all the times that I have made choices based on natural appearances rather than God's word, and have been left picking up the pieces.    Often times, what I think is best is meaningless compared to the fruitfulness of God's plans.  And, just like Lot, I discover once again that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.    

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts."

                               Is 55:8-9