Most of us know about Lot in the Bible. His record is a pretty eye-opening story. II Peter 2:7-10 (NLT) tells us: “7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So, you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling.”
Lot was Abraham’s nephew, and he stuck by his uncle for a long time, but both of them were rich, with lots of servants and livestock, and this caused problems.There wasn’t enough land to support their vast resources. Because of this, their herders had conflicts, so Abraham and Lot decided it was time to separate. Abraham, being the good and generous uncle that he was, allowed Lot to make the first choice. Lot chose a land that looked lavish and wonderful, but oh boy, were looks deceiving. He chose Sodom, and once he moved there, things went drastically downhill. Sodom was known for its wickedness and would ultimately be destroyed because of it. Lot was surrounded by sin every day and it stressed him out, but even though he knew how bad it was, he still didn’t have the courage to leave. The angels sent by God to destroy the place helped Lot come to his senses and escape Sodom before it was destroyed.
This is like many of us sometimes. We can make ourselves very comfortable in a situation or relationship even when we know something isn’t right. We do this even if it’s unhealthy or damaging; we stick it out because it’s familiar to us. We gravitate towards what feels easier, because it also feels safer; but often that’s not the case, and for a lot of us, it takes a wake-up call to realize this. That’s what it took for Lot to get out of a bad situation, and often this is what it takes for us to release the thing that is very harmful to our faith and relationship with God.
This is like many of us sometimes. We can make ourselves very comfortable in a situation or relationship even when we know something isn’t right. We stick it out—even if it’s unhealthy or damaging—because it feels familiar. We tend to gravitate toward what feels easier, because it also feels safer, but often that’s not the case. For many of us, it takes a wake-up call to realize this. That’s what it took for Lot to get out of a bad situation, and often, this is what it takes for us to let go of what’s harmful to our faith and relationship with God. Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT) reminds us: “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Sometimes, we need to put relationships and situations in the past. We need to let them go and press forward in faith, trusting that God has something better for us.
Lot’s experience shows that even when we’re uncomfortable with what’s going on around us, it can still be hard to make that change and walk away from it. The struggle is real. In Romans 7:15 (NLT), the Apostle Paul said, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” We might be holding on too tightly to people, places, or things that aren’t good for us, and we may not fully understand why we’re doing this. It can be a real challenge to break free, but God is calling us to do so. This means venturing outside our comfort zones and leaving the familiar behind so we can follow God’s plan for our lives.
In Genesis 19:17 (NLT), when the angels told Lot to flee, they ordered: “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!” There’s no question about the urgency of their directive. Lot’s mission was clear: make a clean break and leave everything behind that tied him to Sodom, and do it no matter how hard or scary it seemed.
“Don’t look back, and don’t let go of God” is the key to breaking through. Looking back means that we’re so preoccupied with the past—people, situations, or comforts–that we can’t see the goodness of God right in front of us. The truth is that we must leave the old in the past and trust Him with our future. This is how we’ll find the life He has in store for our existences.
Stepping away from what we know and are comfortable with can feel overwhelming, but it’s also where God’s grace meets us. Just like Lot, we’ll face moments of uncertainty or fear when we leave what’s familiar behind, but we must trust that God’s plan for our future is far better than what we’re leaving behind. The key is to trust God and keep moving forward. Never looking back, but keeping our eyes fixed on the path that God has set before us. When we choose to trust Him, even in the middle of the unknown, we will find that He has a life waiting for us that is filled with His purpose, peace, and abundant blessings. Let go of what weighs you down, and step boldly into the future He’s calling you to.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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