Verse of the day: Genesis 13:18 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.
Where Abram settles, in comparison to where Lot
settles, says a lot about where both men’s heart were. They both lived among
ungodly people, but where they placed themselves opened them up to either
follow God or follow their flesh. Lot positioned himself with his tent toward
Sodom, and was eventually drawn into it (v. 12). Lot’s choice brought him much
trouble, as he was taken captive, along with his family in the next chapter,
but in chapter 19, after God allowed him to be rescued by Abraham, we find him
at the gate of the City of Sodom, which is was a place where you found those
who were of any importance in the city, judges, leaders, etc. His worldly
ambitions, led him to dwell in a city that would eventually be destroyed by God,
and his family destroyed, because of his apparent pursuit of prestige, status,
and more wealth (Gen 19). Abraham, on the other hand, positioned himself far
from the temptation of being drawn into such a vile and wicked place. He
settled on the far side, on the other side of the Dead Sea. For God’s children,
the best place to position ourselves is close to the Lord and far from the
worldly ambitions that pull us away from Him, and draws us in to be tempted and
cause us to find ourselves blending in with ungodly people. James 1 reminds us
that we are drawn away and tempted by our own evil desires. Does this mean that
a Christian cannot be successful in this world? No, it does not. Daniel was a
godly man who was elevated in Babylon. Joseph was a godly man who was elevated
to the second in command in Egypt. Both these men were men of God who did not
compromise their relationship with the Lord to gain success. As a matter of
fact, if all we had was this Old Testament account of Lot’s life to judge
whether or not he was godly, we would question his relationship with the Lord.
However, 2 Peter 2:7 describes him as a just man who was vexed by the
environment he lived in. We must be careful in our walk not to live in such a
way that we blend in with the rest of the world, as this is not the kind of
testimony that glorifies God or is useful to the Lord in our calling to spread
the Gospel. This was evident when Lot attempted to warn his sons-in-law, and he
was mocked, as if he were joking, when he spoke of the coming judgment and destruction
(Gen 19). Abraham, on the other hand, placed himself in a position where He was
once again visited by God, and was given the opportunity to intercede on Lot’s
behalf. Abraham’s attitude of guarding his life from the corruption of the
world placed him in a position to share an intimate interaction with the Lord
(Gen 18). The bottom line is that we, as born again believers, can enjoy
intimacy with God, and still enjoy whatever success God allows us to, as long
as that success comes as a result of our relationship with God, and not the
world. Abraham was a godly man who enjoyed wealth, but it was wealth that came
from God. Where we position our thoughts, and our hearts, will determine where
we eventually find ourselves. James 4:7-8 tell us to, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he
will flee from you. Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Let us not be nonchalant about how we live for the Lord or how we guard our
lives from that which is corrupt. Where we set our eyes and the ambitions we
set as goals can either move us closer to God, or make us friends of this
world. James 4:4 warns, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know
that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to
be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
No comments:
Post a Comment