Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Tuesday - July 1 - Tiffany

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is 1 Chronicles 21-22; Psalm 119:89-96; Romans 13
Today's scripture focus is Genesis 19:1-29

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
 16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” 18 And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.
 
If you read through the scripture above, you will notice I cut some out. I read through Bob Deffinbaugh's sermon on this, and wanted to share with you some of his points.
 
1. Lot had lived in Sodom for many years. But even his son-in-laws laughed when he urged them to leave because of the Lord's plan to destroy the city. He had never shared his faith
2. He was incredibly reluctant to leave- he bargained for a shorter escape route.
3. Lot's wife's heart was in the city. We don't know why - she could've looked back for friends, or for the house, or who knows what. But the word of God wasn't enough to keep her looking forward.
 
How many of us live like Lot? We're good people, we follow the rules, but nobody knows we are followers of Christ?
 
Tomorrow's scripture focus: Genesis 19:30-38
 
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: 1 Chronicles 23-24; Psalm 119:97-104; Romans 14

2 comments:

Tammy said...

How sad to have lived a life so similar to the wretched Sodomites that his own family wouldn't even take his warnings seriously.

Miriam said...

Wow, some great points there.