We read in Genesis 13:10-11, Lot looked around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the LORD or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved away toward the east. That is how the two men parted. (GNB)
I wish to highlight the word ‘chose’ in the above mentioned verse, and study in detail to see how the choices we make will affect us in the long run. Every day we are compelled to make numerous choices and decisions. Some of these choices will not have much of a bearing on us, while others will have a permanent impact on our lives. Many people are unaware of how to choose, and make the right decisions in many crucial matters. As children of God we should know how to make the right choices, in concerns both small and big.
Let me explain this with a simple day to day event, most of us are familiar with, to help us realize how many choices we make every single day. Just say a family decides that they will have dinner at a restaurant one night. They next choose the hotel based on whether they want to have a vegetarian meal or a non-vegetarian meal. Then they make a choice as to the kind of transportation they would take to get to the restaurant. On entering the hotel, they are now in dilemma as to which table they would like to be seated. You might have noticed how some people will change places quite a few times, before they decide the table. Once they receive the menu card they are now in a quandary as to what they should choose from the long listings. When the dinner’s finally done, and the bill arrives, they are now faced with the choice of whether to pay by card or cash. Finally they are left with the decision of whether to pay the waiter, and if so how much tip should be given. May sound amusing, but it is a fact that every day we are constantly making so many choices, without even being aware of it.
The above mentioned illustration is one which doesn’t really have much of a consequence, and yet involves so many decisions. However, there are some important matters in life where if one is not cautious, we can make choices that can adversely affect us for the rest of our lives. For instance when it comes to marriage, when one make a wrong choice, the result is that their entire married life becomes an ordeal. It is therefore imperative that we learn to make the right choices in every single aspect of our lives.
Eve’s choice
In the Garden of Eden when the Serpent beguiled Eve, he convinced her to eat the forbidden fruit which the Lord had commanded them not to eat. The eating of the fruit might seem simple to some, but the consequences was that it brought all of mankind under the curse, and dominion of sin. Their choice to disobey God not only affected them, but the ramifications had to be faced by all the generations that followed after them. Some bible scholars believe that the Serpent would have probably tempted Eve when she was alone, and vulnerable.
It is important to be reminded that for every wrong decision we make, the implications will impact the generations that follow after us. That is why it is of utmost significance that we cautiously choose to make the right decisions. In a family it is wise for men to be strong and alert to not allow their wives to be led astray by others.
David’s choice
When it was a season for kings to be at war, David as King of Israel, chose to stay back in his palace. As he lazed around on the terrace of the palace, he was tempted to take another man’s wife, resulting in a breakdown in his personal life, his relationship with God and to the kingdom God had entrusted to him.
There is nothing wrong with relaxing or taking a vacation, but in every choice we make it is vital that we are in the right place with the Lord’s approval or else we too can end up doing things that displease the Lord.
Solomon’s choice
When God appeared to King Solomon in a dream, and asked him what he desired to receive from God, Solomon did not ask for fame, wealth or riches, but asked God for wisdom to discern between right and wrong, to rule the people with wisdom. When Solomon chose aright the recompense he received from God, was that God not only granted him wisdom but also accorded wealth, fame, riches more than any other King of Israel.
Rehoboam’s choice
King Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king in the place of his father. He was confronted with a choice whether to take advice from his peers or from those who were the elderly who counselled his father Solomon. Rehoboam to his detriment decided to go by the advice of those who were his contemporaries, which resulted in the downfall of his kingdom. Rehoboam’s decisions brought about irreversible changes in his life.
It is critical for us too to be cautious as to whose counsel we choose to listen to. There are many who have landed themselves in much trouble simply because they chose to heed the recommendations of wrong people.
Lot’s choice
We read about Lot’s choice in Genesis 13:10-11, Lot looked around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the LORD or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved away toward the east. That is how the two men parted. (GNB)
When Lot sighted the whole of the Jordan Valley, there were two reasons why he chose to have it. Firstly, the River Jordan had copious water which he thought would be ideal for his people, and livestock. Secondly, the land almost appeared bountiful like the garden of the Lord or the land of Egypt. However, what Lot failed to see was the land of Sodom that he was headed towards was filled with sin and wickedness. Lot chose Sodom because he was under the impression that the Jordan River would make his herds flourish, and that his family would have a great future.
There is a big difference between the garden of the Lord, and seeming to be the garden of the Lord. While the former is a place of safety, the latter is a place of immense danger, and while one is original the other is duplicate.
War against Sodom
We read in Genesis 14:12, Lot, Abram's nephew, was living in Sodom, so they took him and all his possessions. (GNB)
When Lot settled in Sodom, there was a war that broke out. Four kings formed an alliance to wage war against five kings, and one these five kings was the King of Sodom. Lot chose Sodom based on mere appearance, but now he was in a serious predicament for he, his family and all that he had were carried away as captives by the kings who conquered Sodom.
When Lot chose to separate from Abraham, he made a wrong decision. Lot lost everything that he thought he could save, by moving away from Abraham. However, when Abraham heard the news that his nephew Lot was taken captive, he too had a decision to make.
Abraham’s choice
Since Lot had deliberately chosen to walk away from Abraham, it was now left to Abraham to choose to help Lot or let him suffer for the same. However this is what Abraham decided to do.
We read in Genesis 14:14-16, When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he armed his 318 trained men, born in his own household, and pursued the four kings all the way to Dan. He split up his men to attack them at night. He defeated them, pursuing them all the way to Hobah, which is north of Damascus. He brought back everything they had, including women and soldiers. He also brought back his relative Lot and his possessions. (GW)
I believe one of the reasons God blessed Abraham abundantly, was the fact that though his nephew Lot chose to walk away from him, when Lot was challenged with danger, Abraham did not hesitate to go out of the way to rescue him.
Here’s a good lesson for us as believer’s to learn from Abraham. Instead of being so egotistic and proud, we need to be willing to forgive our brothers and sisters who have willfully wronged us.
Abraham had so much wealth more than anything he could ever dreamed of, but he was not idle. He chose to train 318 of his servants in warfare. Abraham did not wait for the problem to arise to train his men, but took precaution to have them trained well in advance, so that they were well equipped to go out for warfare. Abraham went with his men to war against the four kings and overcame them. He brought back with him all that was taken away by the kings, including Lot, his family and his possessions.
If we desire to have a good position in any job, training is a very vital part of it. There are army cadets who are under training at the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) at Wellington. While most people would shudder at the thought of venturing out in the cold, these cadets are up and about early in the morning jogging with their rifles, clad in shorts, which is what makes them men of valor who can fight for our country.
As believers we too need to be trained in our spiritual walk, and this happens only when we decide to pray, read the word and attend bible studies regularly. Many believers are weak spiritually because they are not trained themselves, and hence are unable to stand against the assault of the enemy. The church should be a place where believers are trained in prayer, bible study, in holiness and in being responsible citizens in society. We must be willing to discipline ourselves for training, so we can be equipped to handle the attacks of the evil one, and overcome every hardship that we encounter.
Lot chose to go back to Sodom
Though Lot had a bad experience in Sodom the first time, when Abraham rescued him and brought him back, he decided to settle back in Sodom. Lot could not perceive that the troubles he had been through was because of his decision to settle down in Sodom.
Some of us are like Lot. Though we have had bad experiences from wrong choices, instead of deciding to change, we go ahead and make the same mistakes all over again. If we are constantly encountering the same problems over and over again, we need to stop, take a check, decide to be trained to handle and overcome these difficulties. Many people are faced with numerous issues simply because of the wrong choices they have made. Instead we must choose to live in obedience to God, and make decisions only with His counsel and approval which will always be for our good.
We read in Genesis 19:15, At dawn the angels tried to make Lot hurry. "Quick!" they said. "Take your wife and your two daughters and get out, so that you will not lose your lives when the city is destroyed." (GNB)
As the Lord looked down patiently on Sodom hoping the people would turn from their evil ways, there was no sign of repentance, but rather an increase in sin and wickedness. Finally the Lord, decided to destroy Sodom with fire. However, the Lord was gracious to Lot and his family. The Angel of the Lord literally took them by their hand, dragged them out, to make them flee from the impending doom, warning them to not look back. However, Lot’s wife chose to look back, and became a pillar of salt.
There is an important lesson to learn from Lot’s wife. Proverbs 14:1 says, A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. (NLT) For a family to be destroyed there is no need for an outsider, for a foolish woman will do so herself. Lot is referred to as a righteous man in the New Testament. However, it seemed that when the Angel of the Lord warned Lot and his family to flee from Sodom to escape their lives, which apparently was a simple thing to do, Lot’s wife deliberately looked back. Somehow it seemed that Lot’s wife had some sort of attachment to Sodom. From this we can understand that probably she was the one who influenced Lot to separate from Abraham, and move out on his own.
The same was true also in Abraham’s wife Sarah. She was not willing to wait for God’s time but instigated Abraham to have a child through her slave Hagar. Eventually when it did happen, Sarah threw the blame back on Abraham. It is good for women to be reminded that they are the influencers in the home, and therefore they play a vital role in building their homes or having them pulled down.
How to make godly decisions?
1. Pray and ask God for guidance
We must pray about every choice, seeking God’s counsel and wisdom to make godly decisions. We read in James 1:5, If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn't find fault with them. (GW)
2. Seek godly advise not worldly advise
It is important that we seek advice from those who are living godly lives. Many young people when confused about a situation, look to their contemporaries for guidance, not realizing that they too are challenged with the exact same confusions. A wise person seeks counsel from the wise, and a foolish person will seek advice from those who are unwise. We read in Proverbs 12:15, Stupid people always think they are right. Wise people listen to advice. Lot is a good example, who thought that he was making the right choice, but ended up in the wrong place. It is good to seek advice only from those who are godly, and not heed those who are worldly.
3. Trust in God and not in our own understanding or feelings
We read in Proverbs 3:5, Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. (GW) Often our decisions are based on our feeling and emotions, which are constantly changing. The question we need to ask is, ‘Am I making this decision based on what the Lord is saying to me, or based on my emotions?’
4. Listen to what the word of God says
We read in Psalms 119:105, Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path. (GNB) God’s word has a solution for every situation, and if we read and listen, the Lord will speak to us. The word of God is a lamp that will guide us and a light for the path ahead. The question we need to ask before making a choice is, ‘What does God say to us through His word for that particular situation that we are challenged with?’
For instance some people who don’t want to quit smoking will sometimes mockingly ask where God’s word says one should not smoke cigarettes. However, if we read the word as we should and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us, we will understand that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that when one destroys their body they are destroying God’s temple.
5. Our choices must bring glory to God
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31, Well, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God's glory. (GNB) The question we need to ask is, ‘Does the choice I make bring glory to the Lord?’
In conclusion, in order to make godly choices, we must fervently seek the Lord in prayer, listen to godly advice, trust in the Lord, and not our emotions which keep changing like the weather, look to God’s word for guidance, and finally make sure that our every decision brings honor and not dishonor to the Lord. When we do so not only will be we blessed, but so will the generations to follow.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
