Based on Genesis 13 (New King James Version)
“Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. So Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.’ And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord. And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: ‘Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.’ Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.”
Most of the time, many of us make decisions based on what we see, on our own perception, when something seems right. And often, we pray according to this feeling, asking God to answer our prayers according to what we want. But if we look at Lot's life, we should understand that what we want or desire in the moment, or what seems right to us, is not always the best. And often, if we get what we want, it can create a bigger problem later on. We must be very careful with our decisions, and even more importantly, with the intention behind them.
To start, we see the example, or rather, the bad example of Lot, even though Lot was not a bad person. The Bible even says that he was a righteous man, as it is written: “And delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds).” 2 Peter 2:7-8. So, if Lot was righteous, and yet he made bad choices, how much more should we be careful with our own decisions? We must always understand that even under grace, we have free will. God is not going to force you to do anything. The Holy Spirit does not come to impose His will on us. So, this idea that some people have that once you come to Christ, everything will be alright, is a mistake. Everything in our lives will unfold according to how much we submit to God and are willing to do His will. And the only way everything will work out for our good is if we choose to love Him as we should, as it is written: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. Therefore, the condition of loving God must be present in the believer so that all things work together for their good. But if a person makes decisions without the intention of their heart being to love God, they will simply experience the consequences that God allows, and without any benefit. That is why we must be very careful, especially if we are in the Lord, because we are responsible for our actions, and we may suffer irreversible consequences if we choose poorly and without love. We must always keep in mind that God sees everything, knows everything, and that we will receive not according to our appearances, but according to our intention, as the Word says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10.
So, what was Lot's mistake? Like most of us (because nobody gets everything right all the time), he did not seek God's guidance. One might say, "How could he, when there was almost no contact between God and man back then?" We must understand the big picture and not forget the details. Abram (later known as Abraham) left his land and his relatives in obedience to God, and Lot should have known that the reason Abraham embarked on such a journey was based entirely on God's Word. That was the sole reason they left where they were. So, not consulting or seeking the Lord's advice was the first and most fundamental problem. And as a consequence, he took the second step, which was to be guided by his own eyes, because he saw that the Jordan Valley was irrigated, something that made human sense. And to make matters worse, he pitched his tents as far as Sodom, and it was already known that: “…the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.” So, he placed his trust and based his decision on what seemed right to him, siding with what was displeasing to God. And what was the consequence? History tells us that he had to flee Sodom and Gomorrah with his wife and daughters. He left with only the clothes on his back. All his possessions and wealth were consumed by fire. And to make matters worse, it seems his wife was from that land (because Scripture doesn't say he left his homeland with his wife, as we see with Abraham and Sarah). Therefore, it can be assumed he married a local woman, which is why she looked back—because she was from there. Finally, his two daughters were depraved. Fearing there were no more men on earth and wanting children, they plotted to get Lot drunk so they could conceive children. Lot, though a righteous man, made such mistakes that it cost him everything.
What is the answer to avoid such things, to avoid losing things without any divine purpose? The Lord Himself gives us the answer, as He Himself taught us to pray: “In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10. If we seek God's will in everything, we may experience losses and challenges in the present, but they will have divine purposes that will bring us eternal rewards. Everything we do for the Lord has its value and reward, especially if we do it all out of love for Him. This was the great difference between Abraham and Lot. Two righteous men, but one sought to do God's will instead of being guided by his own opinion. And God not only blessed him then, but continues to bless him to this day, as the father of faith that He is. His descendants continue to grow, because when we embrace faith in Christ, we become children of Abraham. So, are you still seeking what you want, or are you seeking to do God's will? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!