Righteous

".....and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man,....."

Wait just a minute, righteous? Lot is righteous?

Okay, lets go back a bit to Genesis 19 and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Theses are cities that were full of immortality and where Lot was living with his family. God had sent two men/angels to the city to see if the rumors of the cities sin was true. They became the guests of Lot's home and he protected them from evil that came knocking on the door. God saved Lot and his daughters from the destruction because Lot showed himself to be righteous.

^{2Peter 2:6-10} if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.

It is easy to make judgement of Lot's life. Even as the men are trying to convince him to leave he is slow moving and unsure. Yet, he knows he needs to go. Somehow, we do the same to people we know. We judge based on a snap shot of a persons life vs the whole of their hearts desire. Lot was imperfect, maybe not the strongest in faith and struggled with sin. I suppose this is something God sees in all of us and still he promises to rescue us all.

^{1 Timothy 2:3-6}This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. (emphasis mine)

Deception

Sometimes life takes us down roads we least expect. We are blessed with many relationships that come in and out of our lives. Most of the time, friends and relatives build us up and make us stronger people. Sometimes we open ourselves up to opportunities for pain.

If we go back to the example of Lot we find that he ends up letting himself be taken advantage of, not by a friend but his own daughters. (Genesis 19:30-38) They devised a plan and tricked him into having sex with them. Could the deception really be any worse? It is hard to read the story and find any understanding in it. Why? How much blame lies with Lot for allowing himself to be drunk?

There are many choices made up to a point where we put our guard down and end up deceived. Jesus warns us time and time again of the chance to encounter false prophets and yet many of us do very little to dive deep into the Word to guard ourselves from such teachers. While we are guarded by our salvation in Jesus we still may pay the consequences for not guarding our hearts.

^{Galatians 6:7-8} Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Rescue

Have you ever felt called to rescue someone you love? Has anyone second guessed a battle you chose to fight with the argument of "this isn't your fight". Abram was told about Lot being captured and ran to his rescue.

^{Genesis 14:11-16} The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Abram didn't have to go, but he did. Would you? If a brother or sister needed you, would you take all the resources you could gather and fight until you rescued them?

We have the greatest weapon of them all and rarely do we stand together and fight our battles. In a world where we only want to talk about happiness and peace, we forget that we are called into battle for one another. Are you waiting for it all to be taken care of or are you willing to go to war with me?

^{Ephesians 6:10-18 The Armor of God}

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Loss

This is where Lot's story begins, in grief and loss.

Genesis 11:27-32 This is the account of Terah.
Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

Many of us have testimonies that begin in a similar state. A moment, a memory where we were desperate, alone, and God answered our need for comfort. Maybe you are in that place right now, wondering if God hears you cry, knows your pain and grief. Or, you are the one being called, like Sarai and Abram to love and care for someone in need.

^{Psalm 71:17-24 (msg)}

You got me when I was an unformed youth,
God, and taught me everything I know.
Now I'm telling the world your wonders;
I'll keep at it until I'm old and gray.
God, don't walk off and leave me
until I get out the news
Of your strong right arm to this world,
news of your power to the world yet to come,
Your famous and righteous
ways, O God.
God, you've done it all!
Who is quite like you?
You, who made me stare trouble in the face,
Turn me around;
Now let me look life in the face.
I've been to the bottom;
Bring me up, streaming with honors;
turn to me, be tender to me,
And I'll take up the lute and thank you
to the tune of your faithfulness, God.
I'll make music for you on a harp,
Holy One of Israel.
When I open up in song to you,
I let out lungsful of praise,
my rescued life a song.
All day long I'm chanting
about you and your righteous ways,
While those who tried to do me in
slink off looking ashamed.