FIRST LESSON FROM LOT
Hey guys. Happy New Year!!!
The beginning of a new year makes some people, including myself, have an ambivalent attitude. You get to think about how the previous year went for you, though grateful to God, you realise that you are not exactly where you thought you'd be.
I think at the end of the day, we should take it as good motivation. It's all part of your story and testimony so, don't be weary. Have it at the back and FRONT (lol) of your mind that you're the daughter/son of God so keep striving, no matter how difficult it may seem, your time has come (speak it into existence).
A friend mentioned that she had a couple of messages to share and this platform was what came to mind. We hope and pray this speaks to YOU.
Gen. 19:16 NLT
"When Lot hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful."
God had already shown Lot great mercy by sending the angels to warn him and his family to leave before Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed. However, because of the lust of flesh, pride in possessions and social status (NLT helps us understand Lot was a person of high status in the city as he was seen in the city square where all the officials and important men usually were) and I'm sure some human logic will have questions like - "how really will this whole city be destroyed by morning? how likely?"- Lot was STILL hesitant. But Jehovah, in His endless mercy and incredible patience, still dragged Lot, his wife and daughter out of the city and away from harm's way.
God saved them when they refused to save themselves. Even after He clearly spelt out the destruction He was bringing to their city.
Sometimes, God has to forcibly take up the decisions out of our hands, for our own sakes, because He loves us clearly more than we love ourselves; because left to us, we'd rather stay and perish with our perceived riches than move to a higher, safer plane; because sometimes someone (in Lot's case, Abraham) has interceded on our behalf that God show us mercy despite our stubbornness.
Just take a second to imagine if the angels accepted Lot's hesitation and got frustrated with his reluctance and said, "Fine then, stay. We will not help someone who has refused to help himself." Then what? Would we now say God was unjust? unmerciful? unfair? Of course not. He gave us freewill to decide our fate over matters such as these.
His love overpowers and overshadows the foolishness of our free will sometimes and thank Jesus for that. Human free will is overrated and honestly very dangerous.
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, feel free to hijack my free will when I'm being dangerously stubborn and self-destructive. Reduce me and increase you. Save me from myself. Amen.
Everyone is welcome to share. Feel free to contact me if you have a message too. The more the vessels, the more the word and love of God travels.
Song: Be Still by Travis Greene.