"Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord. (Gen 13,17-18)

It was a beautiful journey, so far the best Abram had made through the Promised Land. Just to walk enjoying the look around, rejoicing in God. Today we would say: what a "holiday", but then no one would have a clue about it.

Abram was again aware of the inner changes that were taking place in him. Before he set out for his God, he was a capable businessman. He could take advantage of opportunities when they came, and he knew it was necessary not to let them pass. He understood and was able to make use of them, turn them into profit, and therefore his business flourished.

But as he walked around the land now, he realized that God had given him far more than he could gain on his own. At the same time, he was in a position of loss in the breakup with Lot, and such a loss would normally hurt him. But now he felt different, and that didn't correspond to how he used to experience things before. It was as if he could not even seize the greatest, most important things himself, but God would give them to him as a gift.

It was not easy to switch to a mode where he believed rather than acted, thanked for what he received rather than took it himself. The Lot, to whom such attitudes were not known so he simply took what he longed for - this Lot, according to God's word, will not win this land, it will belong to Abram on "all sides". Abram thus experienced the fulfillment of Christ's later word, "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." (Mat 5,5)

Inside, he now felt a certain tension between the old and the new ways, the old and the new Abram. This internal dispute will continue to accompany him, and although the new Abram will often win it, there will also be moments when he will lose this match.

But he didn't know that now. For the moment, on his "holiday" journey, he built another altar to God, as if to testify to everyone and himself at what he intends to continue to look.