对亚伯拉罕而言，被撇下失去罗得并不是一件小事。亚伯拉罕没有儿子。他的侄儿罗得是他的近亲，对他就像儿子一样。我信亚伯拉罕待罗得，就像待自己的儿子一样。所以罗得一离开，他就孤单了。就在这时候，神又向亚伯拉罕显现。在埃及，神降灾对付法老，但祂没有向亚伯拉罕显现，因为亚伯拉罕那时是在错的地位上。在埃及，亚伯拉罕是在神保守的恩典中，但他没有神的显现。
现在到了十三章，亚伯拉罕不仅在神保守的恩典中，更回到原初的地方，在对的地位上。此外，他没有为自己争夺，也没有为自己拣选。由于他在埃及所受的管教，他学了功课，知道他的将来和一切都在神的手中，并且知道他是在神的看顾之下。所以神向他显现，说，“从你所在的地方，你举目向东西南北观看；凡你所看见的一切地，我都要赐给你和你的后裔，直到永远。”（创十三14-15）。亚伯拉罕曾叫罗得拣选土地，现在神进来，似乎告诉亚伯拉罕说，“我不让你拣选。我把一切可拣选的都给你。你举目向东西南北观看－一切都是你的。你曾让罗得拣选，现在我把一切都给你。”我们必须从这里学到功课，在教会生活中不为自己争夺。你如果把拣选让给你的弟兄，神会进来把一切可拣选的都给你。
这一次神在祂的显现中，坚定了创世记十二章七节美地的应许，和十二章二节子孙增多的应许。我们在任何试炼中的得胜，总是坚定神对我们的应许。这就发生在亚伯拉罕身上。并且，亚伯拉罕因为在这次试炼中得胜，就被引到他对神经历的顶峰。他搬了帐棚，来到希伯仑居住（创十三18），他余生大部分的时间，就住在那里，住在与神的交通中（创十八1）。
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The Trial of the Called Ones – Strife Between Brothers (2) –
Gen 13:14-17
For Abram, being left behind and losing Lot was not a small matter. Abram had no son. His nephew Lot was his close relative, just like a son to him. I believe Abram treated Lot as his own son. So, once Lot left, he was lonely. Just at this time, God appeared to Abram again. In Egypt, God sent plagues to deal with Pharaoh, but He did not appear to Abram, because Abram was in the wrong place at that time. In Egypt, Abram was under the grace of God’s keeping, but he did not have God’s appearing.
Now in chapter thirteen, Abram was not only under the grace of God’s keeping but had returned to the original place, to the right standing. Furthermore, he did not contend for himself, nor did he choose for himself. Because of the discipline he received in Egypt, he learned the lesson and knew that his future and everything were in God’s hand, and he knew he was under God’s care. Therefore, God appeared to him and said, “Lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever” (Gen. 13:14-15). Abram had asked Lot to choose the land, but now God came in, seemingly telling Abram, “I did not let you choose. I give everything selectable to you. Lift up your eyes and look north, south, east and west — everything is yours. You let Lot choose, now I give everything to you”. We must learn a lesson here: do not contend for yourself in the church life. If you yield the choice to your brother, God will come in and give you everything that can be chosen.
This time, in His appearing, God confirmed the promise of the good land in Genesis 12:7 and the promise of the multiplication of seed in 12:2. Our victory in any trial always strengthens God’s promise to us. This is what happened to Abram. Furthermore, because Abram overcame in this trial, he was led to the peak of his experience of God. He moved his tent and came to dwell in Hebron (Gen. 13:18), and for the greater part of the rest of his life, he lived there, living in fellowship with God (Gen. 18:1).