Hidden Evil

Genesis 13:10-13  -  And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zo'ar; this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomor'rah.  So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot journeyed east; thus they separated from each other.  Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.  Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. 

What looks good is not always what is good for us.  Hidden amongst the beauty of the fertile land Lot chose… East of the Jordan…was a very evil city. I will not read in to this scripture that Lot did anything wrong by making this decision…there is no mention of selfishness...it is a simple decision of basic sustenance.  Lot’s men and Abram’s men were not living Godly lives with all the fussing a fighting….and Abram showed great maturity by allowing his nephew to choose first. He looked at the two choices and chose for himself what looked to be a place he …his family…and all his flocks could be nourished and continue to grow. He simply did not see Satan lurking so close by.

This chapter does not tell us anything more about Lot…except that he was somehow compelled to move closer and closer to the cities in the valley….cities of evil….where we are told that great sinners lived. Unlike his Uncle who built a new altar to worship God and keep that relationship strong….unlike Abram…who gave thanks to God for all he had….Lot just moved and lived in his own will.  And by not building a personal relationship with God…he allowed Satan to trick him into moving closer and closer to the evil city of Sodom. His heart tricked into thinking that it was safe for his family…maybe he even thought that he could take God there too.

I wonder how his life would have been different if he had followed his uncle’s model….if he had built an altar to God and prayed for direction…if he had ask God where to live. Would he have been warned to pitch his tents far away from this evil city? I believe God would have warned him about all the tragedy this decision will bring to his family later…when Satan convinces him to live inside the city. When he offers his daughters to strangers in Genesis 19 to save those angels…or how his own daughters take advantage of him after he loses his wife running away from Sodom. We never seem to see the possibilities of evil when things look so lush and green…like Lot…we think we have made a good choice…but evil is hidden there…just waiting for us to weaken our relationship with God so it can begin to overcome us.

Father…I thank you for your love and direction that helps me make decisions that keep me as close to you as I can be.  Help me to remember that I must always ask you what to do…that I must make all my decisions not just based on the word that you gave me to read…but to seek your direction in prayers…and meditation…to really think about what you want me to do. Help me to avoid the evils of Satan by looking for the immoral things that might be hidden amongst the lovely.  Help me build an altar to you …no matter where you send me…to seek you…to praise you…to honor the blessings you have given to me in this life. Amen.