Righteous Lot

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Peter 2 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment… and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment. (2 Peter 2:4, 7-9, NASB)


REFLECTIONS:
I can’t wait for next year.  Why?  Hope springs eternal that Tres will assign some fun Scripture passages for me to write about.  

I love God.  Do you notice how He has Peter write about Lot?  He calls Lot righteous.  Lot.  Abraham’s nephew.  

• The one who was greedy and wanted the green, garden-like land (Genesis 13:10). 
• The one who moved near Sodom, was captured by rival kings in the area, subsequently rescued by Abraham, and still chose to live in Sodom.  (Genesis 14)
• The one who, when Sodomites sought to violate his angelic visitors, offered his virgin daughters for them to violate instead.  (Genesis 19)
• The one whose wife lingered too long and was turned into a pillar of salt.  (Genesis 19)
• The one whose daughters got him drunk so that they could bear children by him.  (Genesis 19)

Yeah, that righteous Lot.

In all honesty, I feel for Lot.  His life’s antics are intermingled with Abraham’s (who, in all fairness, had his ups and downs as well).  It’s kind of hard to match up to the “friend of God”!  But here he is, mentioned in the New Testament as righteous!  Maybe we should look a little closer at Lot; who is this righteous man from Genesis 19?

• The one who sat at the gate—commonly the seat of justice and social discourse (perhaps he attempted to influence society?)
• The one who bowed down before the visitors and urged them to stay with him, then prepared a feast for them! (reverence and hospitality)
• The one who pleaded for the Sodomites to not act wickedly causing them to ask who made him judge? (he stood against evil and had understanding of what was upright)
• The one who warned his future sons-in-law of the coming destruction, though they ignored his warning (reaching out to save his family)
• The one, who even though he hesitated to leave, had the compassion of the LORD upon him (19:16)

Lot was a man who had made some poor choices along the way.  His choices landed him in the middle of a god-forsaken city, the pit of hell in a manner of speaking.  Yet God saw him.  God reached out to him and he responded.

I can’t help but be overwhelmed at the goodness, the kindness, the rich compassion of God who despite some really lousy choices made by Lot, deemed him worthy of being rescued and being called righteous.


POINT OF ACTION:
Have you ever made some poor choices?  I have.  I chose to marry a man who ended up abusing me physically, emotionally, verbally, and sexually.  Then I chose to have a friend who treated me the same way.  I chose for years to let my kids bear witness of this.  I chose for many years to let them influence me and my walk with God.  I chose to believe what they said about me, instead of what God says about me.  I wasn’t sure I was worth rescuing, or even deserved rescuing.  But, “the compassion of the LORD was upon me” and in His great mercy, He took me by the hand and led me out of my own pit of hell.

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation (trials) and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment.  He knows how to rescue each of us.  He is intimately acquainted with our hearts—He alone is able to judge correctly—separating marrow from bone.  He alone determines our righteousness.

Maybe you’re in a tough spot right now.  Maybe you don’t feel very righteous; maybe you’re held hostage by all the bad choices you’ve made and feel you don’t deserve rescue.  Remember Lot.

God reached out to Lot and Lot responded.  How is God reaching out to you?  Are you responding, or are you being a “tough-it-out Texan,” determined to get yourself out of the mess you got yourself into?

Jesus loves you.  Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.  For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.”  My friends, do not lose heart at your present trouble.  I truly believe there is nothing that brings God greater joy than for us to lay down our pride and run to Him with arms wide open crying, “Daddy!  I messed up and I need you to rescue me!”


WHO AM I?
I am Beth Peeples.  I’m still in awe of how the Lord chose to rescue me.  I am a tom-boy.  Always have been, always will be.  Princesses and fairy-tales are for girly-girls, not me.  Funny how God decided to rescue me with a knight in shining armor and I couldn’t be more grateful.  I am a blessed woman.