Genesis 14 recounts a battle between Mesopotamian city-states, where the kings from around Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated by more powerful kings from outside Canaan. Abraham’s nephew Lot was caught up in this battle and became a captive. Abraham’s response was to rescue him. 

With just over 300 men, he caught up to this conquering army and defeated them. This was quite a miracle and made Abraham the owner of all the spoils of the conflict (a sizable fortune). Yet, Abraham did something profound. He gave it all back.

Abraham could have used this victory to become an earthly king, with great wealth won through victory in battle. This is how his world worked. Instead, he told the king of Sodom that he had made a vow to God that he wouldn’t keep anything.

He had learned a very important thing about God. The Lord owns everything, and it is better to get your blessings from him. Abraham made it very clear: He gave everything back so no one could say his blessings came from anywhere but God.

We all grapple with this in some way. On one side sits the world, promising to make our lives worth living. On the other side is God. Who will you trust to make your life good?

Abraham trusted the possessor of heaven and earth. How about you?

Be careful not to misapply this. Sodom and Gomorrah were so evil that God would soon destroy them in judgment. The spoils of such a place would represent the allure of sin. There is an illusion that sin will bring us happiness, but faith sees that true happiness comes from God. So, this is not saying give all your money away or don’t work for a living. The lesson here is simple: Live for God faithfully, and he will bless your life.