The Lord said to Abram . . . “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.”

— Genesis 13:14-15

As the elder family member, Abraham had the right to choose which land he would take for himself. But he surrendered that right and let his nephew Lot choose first. Setting his sights on greater things, Abraham trusted God to take care of him, no matter which part of the land he would receive.

In faith, Abraham turned the situation over to the Lord—not allowing his possessions to possess him. This freed him to enjoy God’s blessings without clinging to them or grasping for more. Abraham was able to hold on loosely to the things of this world.

And surprisingly, Abraham received more than he gave up. God promised him that one day all of the land he could see around him would belong to him and his descendants. From this we learn that God honors those who yield their rights and surrender their resources for his greater purposes.

Abraham’s choice points us to Jesus, who chose to give up his rights for a more glorious purpose. Philippians 2:6-9 explains that Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,” but instead “emptied himself” for our sake. And in doing that, he received “the name that is above every name.” Be ­assured that God blesses all who entrust their future to him.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving yourself for our sake. May our lives reflect the same attitude, pointing others to your great love for us all. Amen.