Have you ever heard the phrase, “choose your friends wisely”?  It is certainly an important principle in life.  When Abram and Lot choose to separate so they have enough land for their flocks, Lot chooses an area that looks nice but is surrounded by wicked people.  Most of you know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and the penalty Lot pays for this simple choice.  Let’s look at the passage found in Genesis 13 together.

 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” 10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. 14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” 18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.

When Lot pitched his tents near Sodom he made a choice that cost him his family and almost his life.  Sometimes little choices in life seem little but are actually huge.  Lot could have chosen the other direction.  Abram gave him the choice but Lot was enticed by the well-watered fields and the potential to acquire even more.  This ultimately led to his downfall.  Both Abram and Lot knew of the wickedness of Sodom.  Yet, he still chose to pitch his tents there.  This reminds us of the incredible importance of surrounding ourselves with others who will build us up in the faith.  When we are surrounded by people like that we thrive.  When we “pitch our tents near Sodom” bad things can happen. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave