Genesis 13:14, “And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward.”

It’s easy to lift up your eyes, behold your circumstance, and conclude “this is it.” In the Lord, whatever the circumstance, and the cause thereof, until He graduates us to glory, “this,” present circumstance experienced, is never “it,” as in the ending.

Still, this realization does not automatically clear the way before you; but we cannot underestimate the spot where we presently stand.

As Abraham and Lot, their respective houses having grown to a size that would not allow them to dwell closely together, agree to separate, Abraham leaves the choice of direction to Lot.

Lot lifted up his eyes, beholding the lush plain before him, which includes Sodom and Gomorrah, and settled where it was pleasing to the eyes (Gen. 13:10-13).

As the Lord directs, Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked to the north, the south, the east, and the west, to survey a promise not yet realized. He first looked, and then walked (Gen. 13:14-17).

On the spot where Abraham experiences another loss, the first being loss of land and family connection in Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen. 12:1), he now loses Lot.

Childless and landless, the Lord tells Abraham to look, and then walk. To the eyes of the “ites,” the numerous inhabitants of the land, Abraham appeared not only as a stranger, but a trespasser.

But when Abraham looked מִן-הַמָּקוֹם/min ha’makom, “from the place” or “from that exact spot” where he stood, not to the right or left, or where he would hope to be, but where the Lord placed him, he was drawn deeper into God’s unfolding plan for his life.

Do not overlook the spot where it seems that all has been stripped away, the “this is it” place, as it is from there, when we hear Him in faith, and begin the walk, that we find the promise inspiring Paul to write, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

As Abraham lifted up his eyes to see the promise, we lift our eyes to the Lord God, greater than the mountains, maker of heaven and earth, from where our help, purpose, and promise comes from (Ps. 121:1-2), to the exact spot where we presently stand, leading us to the place Yeshua/Jesus has prepared (Jn. 14:2-3).

Be well. Shalom.