Abram & Being Rich

Genesis 14:17-24

"And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said:

'Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.'

And he gave him a tithe of all.

Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.'

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, 'I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich' - except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me; Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.'"

Abram counted on the gifts of God to make him rich, knowing that God would provide for him. He went into battle to rescue Lot, not to serve the king of Sodom. He served with a purpose, and did not walk into battle blindly not knowing his direction.

GOD PROVIDES
I think of us, my parents, my sister, and quite a few other people when I think of God's provisions. Over the years, I have seen countless times where God's people start worrying about finances, plans, or other things. I have not seen yet where God has let us sink when his people have relied upon Him. There are often times when He lets people sink in order to get them to rely upon Him. Sometimes that is what it takes because of a hard heart or lack of humility.

GOD HAS ULTIMATE AUTHORITY
Often times at work I get caught up in my bosses imperfections. Sometimes I think there is nothing I can do to please and other times I work to try and please them getting frustrated. I forget that ultimately it is God who has ultimate authority. If I am truly working to serve and please God, then He will truly watch out for me.

GOD GIVES PURPOSE AND DIRECTION
God does not tell us things with no direction. Sometimes we may only get one step at a time in the direction He wants us to go. We know that whereever we put our step, God will be there to uphold us. Sometimes we go into battle. We all go through spiritual battles. Regardless of the battle, if we are seeking God we will come out the better for it. It is for God we have Purpose.