Settling For Less Than The Best?

SETTLING FOR LESS THAN THE BEST ...

The lesson of ZOAR?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

TEXT:

Gensis 19:12 ---23

Romans 8:28

When I was little my older brother and I decided we had enough at home and we discussed running away.

So my older brother and I informed our Mom of our intentions to run away.

Mom quickly agreed and thought that was the thing we should do.

Mom packed our clothes in brown bags, we never owned any suitcases. She also fixed us two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

We walked out to the sidewalk and sat on the bags of our clothes. We got the sandwiches out and ate them.

One of our neighbors pulled by and stopped. We informed him we were running away!

The nice man offered us a ride as far as his house.

My older brother respectfully declined the ride, as Mom had told us if we crossed the sidewalk, we would get a whooping. (I hope you understand a whooping is much more serious than a whipping!)

A little later Mom came out and helped us carry our two brown bags back in the house.

That was my last time to ever run away, and I never even left the yard.

1. RUN AWAY:

**To leave quickly to avoid something - unpleasantness **To leave comforts of home

**Elope **To be out of control **To take away in haste/secretly **To carry beyond limits

2. WATER NOT UNDER PRESSURE WILL ALWAYS TAKE THE EASIEST WAY.

We call this the path of least resistance. While water will always take the path of least resistance, so we too are prone to look for the easy trails in life.

3. EASY TRAILS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE BEST TRAILS TO TAKE?

The road of comfort may be a road of laziness, of ease, and of much ignorance.

Sometimes the worse thing that can happen to you will grow into the best thing that could ever happen.

4. THERE IS A DANGER IN HITCH HIKING AND RUNNING AWAY:

While Running Away Spirits or attitudes tend to grow among God’s people, running away to easy places is not always God’s design.

5. THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO COUNT THE COST!

When we count the cost we tend to think this quart of oil will cost $1.75? But that is a poor attitude approaching the cost factor. It is more than what a quart of oil cost in money. What if I do not buy the oil, and my motor blows up? The cost could easily be $2,000.00. Now, in that light $1.75 is cheap?

What will not reading and studying your Bible cost?

What will unfaithfulness to church cost?

It is always to soon too quit, try again.

Cost? Think about who will be hurt by my words or actions?

Think of the cost of drifting down stream with the current? No plan? No purpose?

Count the cost of Impulsive Life Styles? We can grow a natural tendency other than rational reasoning.

6. ABRAHAM WAS A WISE MAN THAT LEARNED COST, VALUES, AND WORTH!

Abraham was a Son of Promise, yet Abraham faced some lean times and could have easily ran from his

problems.

Abraham learned several secrets to successful daily living. ABRAHAM KNEW TO BUILD ALTARS AND PRAY where ever life led him.

Abraham learned to DIG WELLS for his family. To this day there are wells in the middle east they call

Abraham’s wells. Think how many people have drank from the wells? Abraham did not run away, he put forth great effort to know the mind of God. He walked in God’s plan.

7. LET US CONSIDER A MAN THAT LIVED FAR BENEATH HIS PRIVILEGES!

LOT WAS ONE GIVEN TO RUN AWAY AND LOOK FOR THE EASY.

Lot was Abraham’s nephew --- Lot lived under God’s promise.

God had a Divine plan for Lot. Lot and his family did not properly respect his Uncle Abe.

Lot’s family seem like they just didn’t want to get along with Abraham’s family.

There is no record of Lot building altars where ever he traveled.

Lot made many wrong choices. Lot told a longing in his heart when he pitched his tent toward Sodom and Gomorra. Lot looked to the plains, the easy road, not the mountains of opportunity.

Lot had all the wrong friends, he was satisfied to dwell with the world.

Lot lived in the Wrong place at the wrong time.

Lot was content to just visit with Abraham at Abe’s altars - there is no record of Lot’s own personal

altar?

8. LOT GREW A RUNNING AWAY SPIRIT AND LOT WANTED TO RUN HIS OWN DIRECTION, NOT GOD’S DIRECTION!

Lot - God has a PLAN FOR YOU, CLIMB HIGH ON THAT MOUNTAIN, but Lot would rather run down his own road in his own direction. Lot’s plan appeared much easier than God’s plan.