January 15, 2020
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you for your commitment to prayer. Rachel and I really appreciate it. Never forget that God hears the cry of each longing heart.
The story of Lot is found in Genesis 19, and it’s a sad one. It began back in the earlier chapters of Genesis when Lot started out with his Uncle Abram; shortly after, there was a separation between the two companies because of strife between the herdsmen. Strife always does this—causes distance between people. Lot chose the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah in which to settle but it was not a great place to raise a family. It was so wicked that God eventually destroyed it with fire. The names, Sodom and Gomorrah, became synonymous with moral sin and were a clear reminder of God’s judgment against sin.
The people of the past are examples and provide lessons for us in the present. Lot was no exception. There are three realities I would like to highlight:
First, our choices will greatly affect those around us. Lot’s choice to leave Abram and settle in the Sodom was not a wise move. I know he needed a good place for his sheep to graze and thrive, but God had called Abram to be a pilgrim and a sojourner, not to settle in and get comfortable.
We need to guard against the world around us that continually seeks to press in upon our lives and calls us to settle with them in their sin. We can’t help living in the world but we need to keep the world (with all its values that are contrary to God’s) out of our hearts.
In the end, Lot lost his family because of this choice. May God keep our hearts fixed on Him.
The second reality is that testimony matters. When Lot went to His relatives in Sodom to warn them of impending danger, they wouldn’t listen. “But He seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting” (Gen.19:14). How tremendously sad!
Whether or not they knew he was a follower of Jehovah is uncertain, but when the crunch came, they just thought it was a joke. In the book of Jude, God refers to him as a righteous person, but his righteousness had no impact on those around him. His testimony had no weight. Not even in his own family circle.
Our testimony is important. What people around us see as they look at our lives will influence and impact them in their search for truth.
The last lesson I learn from Lot’s life is that God is faithful. He is true to Himself and true to His Word. He cannot deny His own character and what He says will always happen. This is borne out in the story of Lot. God responded to the wishes of godly Abram who pleaded on Lot’s behalf, and yet He did have to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because His Word is binding.
God is faithful. We can rejoice in this reality. He will do all He says He will. Let us rest in His promises today and remain faithful regardless of the cost.
Love in Christ,
Bryan and Rachel
