FRIDAY 16TH JULY 2021 MORNING
Genesis 13: 1-13 New International Version (NIV)
13 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
When your heart is aligned with God's heart; and He is enough for you, you only want what He wants to give you. We pray, seek, and labor for some things that will never come to pass, but in the end we are content with God whatever He decide for our lives. He is our portion. As Christians we have the ultimate provision from God. We don't necessarily have a piece of land; we have a savior. God gave His Son for us. He died and rose again to secure our place with Him (Jn. 14:1-4). That is why we can be content.
IJUMAA TAREHE 16 JULAI 2021 ASUBUHI
MWANZO 13: 1-13
1 Abramu akapanda kutoka Misri, yeye, na mkewe, na kila alichokuwa nacho, na Lutu pamoja naye, mpaka kusini.
2 Naye Abramu alikuwa ni tajiri sana kwa mifugo, kwa fedha, na kwa dhahabu.
3 Akaendelea kusafiri kutoka kusini mpaka Betheli, mahali pale palipokuwapo hema yake kwanza kati ya Betheli na Ai;
4 napo ndipo palipokuwa na madhabahu aliyofanya hapo kwanza; naye Abramu akaliitia jina la Bwana hapo.
5 Na Lutu aliyesafiri pamoja na Abramu, yeye naye alikuwa na makundi ya ng'ombe na kondoo, na hema.
6 Na ile nchi haikuwatosha, ili wakae pamoja; maana mali zao zilikuwa nyingi, hata wasiweze kukaa pamoja.
7 Kukawako ugomvi kati ya wachunga wanyama wa Abramu, na wachunga wanyama wa Lutu; na siku zile Wakanaani na Waperizi walikuwa wakikaa katika nchi.
8 Abramu akamwambia Lutu, Basi, usiwepo ugomvi, nakusihi, kati ya mimi na wewe, wala kati ya wachungaji wangu na wachungaji wako; maana sisi tu ndugu.
9 Je! Nchi hii yote haiko mbele yako? Basi ujitenge nami, nakusihi; ukienda upande wa kushoto, nitakwenda upande wa kuume; ukienda upande wa kuume, nitakwenda upande wa kushoto.
10 Lutu akainua macho yake, akaliona Bonde lote la Yordani, ya kwamba lote pia lina maji, kabla Bwana hajaharibu Sodoma na Gomora, lilikuwa kama bustani ya Bwana, kama nchi ya Misri hapo unapokwenda Soari.
11 Basi Lutu akajichagulia Bonde lote la Yordani; Lutu akasafiri kwenda upande wa mashariki; wakatengana wao kwa wao.
12 Abramu akakaa katika nchi ya Kanaani, na Lutu akakaa katika miji ya lile Bonde; akajongeza hema yake mpaka Sodoma.
13 Lakini watu wa Sodoma walikuwa wabaya, wenye kufanya dhambi nyingi sana juu ya Bwana.
Moyo wako unapoambatana na moyo wa Mungu; na yeye kutosha kwa ajili yako, basi utahitaji tu kile anachokuwazia kukupa. Tunaomba, tunatafuta, na kusumbukia mambo yasiyopita, lakini mwishoni tunatoshelezwa na Mungu kwa lolote analoamua kuhusu maisha yetu. Yeye ndiye fungu letu. Sisi kama Wakristo tunapewa mahitaji yetu yote na Mungu. Inawezekana tusiwe na ardhi, lakini tunaye mwokozi. Mungu alimtoa mwanawe kwa ajili yetu. Alikufa na kufufuka ili kuandaa makao tutakapokuwa pamoja naye. (Yn. 14:1-4). Ndiyo maana mioyo yetu imetosheka.