There's a "Lot" To Look Forward To

Read Genesis 18-20

They say birds of a feather, flock together.  My mom always told me I would be judged by those I hung out with.  And we all know that you can't hang out in the swamp without getting a little muddy. Well, these folks were down-right nasty!

Lot's reaction to the 2 men is appalling--who would offer their daughters over 2 strangers to a raging crowd?  Just goes to show that if you surround yourself with bad, it's gonna rub off.  And yet, God rescued Lot and his family.  Remember why God did that? Abraham had discussed it with God--prayed a prayer of protection around Lot, so to speak. It's good to have prayer warriors surrounding you! And it didn't hurt that Lot had the presence of mind to guard the angels.  Maybe, when he was suggesting throwing out his daughters, all he was doing was putting God before family.  Still, I think you have to be very clear about these things, especially with children.  It seems those same girls learned a very disturbing lesson from the actions that they saw every day in that city and even the actions of their own father.  And those lessons led to even more disturbing actions from the girls themselves!

• It reminds me of a story, that I saw on facebook (not always a good source of information, but this one is good)...
• "Yesterday when I was picking my daughter up from school I witnessed two moms "gossiping" about another mom. Two minutes before the gossip started, the two gossiping moms were acting like the person whom they were talking about's best friend. When she walked away the gossip and mean faces and laughs started. The saddest part? Both of their daughters saw, witnessed and heard the whole thing and then proceeded to chime in the same negative sarcastic way.  Our children hear everything we say and they see everything that we do. They are smart and intuitive and learn what is ok and not ok by us. Mean children and bully's typically learn that from us- their parents." Natalie Jill Fits

We all see it, judge it, and comment on it almost every day.  And yet it's hard not to slip up.  I think that is when we have to learn the next lesson from Lot's dilemma-- Lot's wife turning to salt--coining the phrase "There's no looking back!"  That was another situation that had a huge impact on those girls.  Their mother did not have the faith to look forward and not desire the past. She did not trust God and look to the future.  If you spend your time looking back, you will never be able to move forward.

God, I pray that talking to you will become so natural that I turn to you first.  That I pray as much for others as I do for myself.  And that I keep my eyes on your plan for my life and keep moving forward.  I also hope I always recognize the angels in my midst!  Amen.