After this, the word
of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
Abram received the words above in a vision from the Lord
after speaking these following pretty harsh words to the king of Sodom: “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the
Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing
belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will
never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’” I picture Abram speaking these
words in a ferocious manner towards the king of Sodom and then standing before
that king, waiting for his response. Would the king strike him right where he
stood? Would the king unleash his army upon Abram and his people for the tough
words that were spoken by Abram? Now, Sodom wasn’t a righteous place. In fact,
it was a downright wicked place, plagued with the sins of man, and lead by a
sinful king. So when I read the serious words that Abram speaks to this king, I
think “Uh-oh, now you’ve done it.” But then God speaks the calming words above
in the very next section of the text. He assures Abram that his work is
righteous and that he will be protected. It’s as if God is saying “Look, don’t worry.
You are doing righteous work here. I am going to protect you from whatever junk
these others guys try and throw your way.” I believe that God speaks those same
words into our lives today. We may not have the same vision that Abram
experienced, but through our Baptism we do have the Holy Spirit…and the Holy
Spirit speaks and works mightily in our lives daily, reassuring us of God’s
presence and eternal protection. So when we find ourselves in a challenging situation
like Abram’s, may we find that same courage that Abram did to pursue righteousness…may
we proclaim our allegiance to the Lord, never compromising that commitment…and through
the Holy Spirit, may we seek to justly serve the one true living God, trusting
that he is our shield and strength! To God alone be the glory!
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