LOT LIFTED UP HIS EYES – Genesis 13:10
Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was 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.
Abraham and Lot both had great wealth. God had blessed both men. However, because of their wealth, there came a time when they needed to separate. Abraham gave Lot first choice and Lot saw the well watered plains of Jordan. Lot was not looking at the sin that was in the area, all he was concerned about was situating himself in a place where he could increase his wealth.
Had Lot known the personal cost that it would have on him and his family to move to the plains, he probably never would have made that decision. However, even if you had warned Lot that there might be consequences, human nature shows us that Lot would have denied the danger.
Lot ended up losing everything that was dear to him because of a decision to pursue wealth. Lot did not take the time to see what the perfect will of God was for his life, instead, he simply saw what he thought was prosperity and headed in that direction. Lot would have spared himself a lot of problems had he simply taken the time to seek the will of God before he made a decision that would affect him for the rest of his life.
There is a lot that we can learn from Lot on making wise decisions. We do not have a crystal ball that enables us to look into the future to see what the consequences of our bad decisions will be. However, what we do have is a God who loves us who is willing to guide us in the way that we are to go if we will only learn to trust in HIM. If we only learn to take the time to hear HIS still small voice, we can make fewer costly mistakes.
Lot’s problem was that he was looking at this world with his worldly eyes. His worldly eyes saw the lush plains of the Jordan and that is exactly where Lot desired to be. Abraham on the other hand knew that God was going to take care of his needs and so for him, it was more of a priority for him to follow the direction of God then it was to go where he wanted to go.
By looking for riches, Lot lost everything. By looking to please God, Abraham gained great riches. Abraham was not perfect and he
did make mistakes. However, Abraham’s perspective was pleasing God whereas Lot’s perspective was pleasing himself. Abraham is now called the father of faith while Lot is simply a warning to all about the consequences of having a worldly perspective in life.
Every day you have a choice to make. You can choose to put the things of God first in your life or you can choose to pursue that which seemeth right in your own eyes. When you add temperance to your life, you learn to avoid the temptations of pursuing riches that have a way of entangling you and causing you to make unwise decisions.
You cannot afford to make a bad decision like Lot. Lot lost his credibility, his wealth, and his family as a result of one bad decision. When you have to make a decision, it is in your best interest to sit back and make sure that you are not allowing the things of this world to control your decision. Do not be hasty to make a decision because it feels like the right decision. Do not make a decision because you think you will financially prosper as a result. Instead, put your focus upon God and allow HIM to guide you. Take the time to seek HIS perfect will because HE has promised to direct your paths.