the grass is always greener...

Genesis 13.

Conflict (my oh-so-favorite thing) arose between Abram's men and Lot's men. Not surprising - the Bible tells us that each of them were blessed with a great number of possessions and livestock and that the land in Bethel could not sustain both of them. The strife that developed between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot led Abram to give Lot the choice of where to go. He decided that their relationship was more important and to help keep it healthy it would be best for them to split. Abram let Lot choose first. Verse 10 relays how Lot looked over the land, spotted the lush valley of the Jordan and chose that to be his dwelling. Can we blame him? It was fertile, full of foliage in which to graze his livestock - and this after he had to flee to Egypt because of a famine. Heck yeah he wants that zone!

Unfortunately the decision was made on superficiality and Lot failed to examine the character of those who dwelt in this area. He "moved his tents as far as Sodom". Even those who have never perused the Word know that this place is bad news.

Not long after, in chapter 14, we read, "They also took Lot...for he was living in Sodom". The progression is sad and sobering...from following God alongside Abram...to being lured toward sin by things of temporal value (the green)...to actually moving into Sodom, about whom it is said, "the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord (Gen 13:13). The story doesn't get any better as it goes on.

How like Lot am I? Are you? So often it is things of this world which I crave ~ and so often I am tempted to pursue them without regard for the eternal significance of my decisions. I forget the long-term implications of my actions. Help me, Lord, to not end up dwelling in Sodom, captive to the kings of this world because I think the grass is greener on the other side. Help me, rather, to be like Abram who moved his tent away from Sodom to the oaks of Mamre where he stopped and built an altar to You. Help me to live in confidence that the grass is always greener wherever You are - no matter what my eyes and this world tells me. Amen.