“AND LOT LIFTED UP HIS EYES”

MEMORY VERSE: And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Genesis 13:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 11-16

BIBLE READING: Genesis 13:9-12

There was an old man who had three sons. The firstborn married a young woman, so did the second and the third born. One day the third born passed away, and since the firstborn had no child of his own, he decided to adopt his younger’s brother son. He took him home and showered him with all the love in the world. He treated him as his own son, and helped him get into business. The young man began to raise animals like his adopted father. Within a short period of time, the young man began to prosper. He began to acquire staffs, and business began to grow at a rapid rate. Before you know it, his business had become so big that the small town they both (he and his uncle) resided could no longer contain them. Soon, his staffs and his uncle’s staffs began to quarrel. To avoid quarrels and ensure peace between them both, Abram sent for his cousin, Lot. When he arrived, Abram suggested that they split the land between themselves. If Lot choose the eastern part of the land, he would choose the western part. Or better still, if he choose the northern part of the land, he would choose the southern part of the land. The bible records that “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that itwas well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar” (Genesis 13:10). The agreement was that Lot should choose a part of the land but he chose the best part of the land – the plains of Jordan. Shortly after he moved into the land, it was raided; Lot and his household were taken captive.

There are several lessons to learn from this story. Firstly, not everything that appears or looks good is actually good. In addition, not everything that appears or looks good is good for you. Oh the plains of Jordan looked like the “garden of the Lord” but it was not good for Lot. Not every promotion is from God. Possessing the plains of Jordan may seem like a promotion to Lot but it was not a good promotion. Also, not all promotions are promotion. Some of them are demotion in disguise; death traps, etc, and as such be wise. Any promotion that makes it impossible for one to serve God is a demotion which can lead to death. Secondly, not everything that appears good or looks good is from God. Thirdly, not everything that appears good or looks good is God’s will for your life. Fourthly, don’t choose things by their outward appearance or outward presentations. Why? Fifthly, not all that glitters is gold. There are a lot of gold plated items that appear as real gold. Sixthly, only God knows what is good. There are many like Lot today who instead of praying before making a choice have gone ahead and “lifted up their eyes” and chose. I pray they will not end up like Lot. When it comes to choosing between offers, pray and ask God to guide you. Asides from the obvious mistake that Lot choose with his eyes, Lot chose the plains of Jordan based on what he could see from afar. He had not been to the land, he had not seen the people, he had not learnt their ways, he chose based on what he could see from afar. A point to note: not all things that appear pretty at a distance are actually pretty. When you get close to some things that appear beautiful from a distance, you will be disappointed. The closer you get to a person, the more you will know the person. In Lot’s scale of preference, greener pasture came before the will of God. Lot preferred a greener pasture than the presence of God.

NOTE: The fact that a pasture is green does not mean God is there. Greener pasture also does not necessarily mean more money or promotion. Lot went to Sodom full but came out empty.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

UNTIL LOT LEAVES

MEMORY VERSE: For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all , James 2:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 19, Acts 23, Jer 33, Luke 2

In Genesis 12:1-4, God gave Abram seven promises subject to obedience to three simple instructions. He told him to get out of his country; get out from his family and get out from his father’s house to a land He will show him. In return He promised to make him  a great nation; bless him; make his name great; make him a blessing; bless those who bless him; curse those who curse him and through him all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Abram obeyed all the instructions except the last one - he got out of his country, his family but not fully from his father’s house because he took little Lot (young son of his late brother –Haran) with him. When he arrived at where God told him to go, he was greeted by famine instead of abundance. He ran out of there and went to Egypt with little Lot. In Egypt, Pharaoh took his wife from him but God intervened. He left Egypt for south of Bethel still with Lot (by this time Lot was now a big man). One day fight broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. That day Abram decided that enough was enough. He told Lot to pick a portion of the land and leave. Immediately Lot left the presence of Abram, God spoke after several years.

Despite the fact that Abram obeyed two out of the three instructions, God did not fulfill the seven promises. God is not looking for those who will obey most of His commandments. He is not satisfied with people who are ready to obey ninety per cent or people who obey nine percent. To the Most High God, obedience to ninety percent of God’s commandments is still classified as incomplete obedience. No wonder the book of Matthew 5:48 says be perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

From time to time, many of us wonder if the words written in the bible are actually true. James 4:7 says Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Many of us have been resisting the devil and instead of the devil to flee, the devil is actually pursuing us in the dreams, why? Malachi 3:9 says bring all the tithes into the storeroom that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Host, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Many of us have been faithful in the payment of tithes and instead of lending to nations; our financial situation is getting worse by the day, why? The reason for this is incomplete obedience. James 2:10 says for whoever keeps the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. As far as you are still fornicating, you can pay tithe from today till tomorrow the Lord will not open the window of heaven to any fornicator or adulterer. You can join all the groups in the church; as far as you are not merciful forget about mercy. You can be the Sunday school teacher, as far as you are not fully submissive to your husband or authority, you can rebuke the devil all you want instead of fleeing he might even chase you.

POINT: Lot represents incomplete obedience