At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. "Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!" When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.

As I was reading this passage last night, I was struck by something I had never noticed before.

After being visited by angels, seeing the evil of the town in which he lived, and being warned that the entire city was going to be destroyed,

Lot still hesitated........

Part of me wonders, "Would I have done that too?"

Sadly, I think I know the answer.

Fear is a powerful tool of the devil.

I'm sure that even though the devil is never mentioned, he was there...somewhere...playing with Lot's mind.

He's here too.

Casting doubt.

Raising tough questions.

Whispering failure.

Speaking fear.

Reminding us of the comfort we "think" we have if we just stay put.

Yes, I'm afraid if this passage was the story of my life, it would read the same...

Tammy still hesitated..

I breathe a huge sigh of relief. though, when I remember the last words of this passage,

The Lord was merciful.

And this morning, I want you to breathe that same sigh of relief.

God is merciful.

God knows we have an enemy who is relentless.

He knows that in some ways his power can be overwhelming in our actions.

But He also knows that, in the end, TRUE POWER rests in Him and Him alone!!!

So, He patiently lead us and sometimes seizes us to snatch us away from the things that are pulling us down.

As we begin a new week of January, 2012, let's take an inventory of our life.

Are there things we need to let go of but we are hesitating?

Are there relationships that are not drawing us closer to God but maybe even further away from the One who can save our soul that we need to reevaluate?

Is our thought life leading us to the heart of God or away from it?

Are there habits we need to break, but we find ourselves making excuses, procrastinating on making changes?

Remember this:

Lot was not an evil person.

He simply lived in the middle of an evil place.

Sometimes God wants to move us away from destructive things (physically, spiritually, and emotionally) BEFORE it is too late.

Today, don't find yourself hesitating.

I am sure an angel has had to "seize my hand" more than once and pull me away from negative things.

I know the Lord is merciful.

But let's not forget what happens to Lot's wife just a few verses after this.

We'll talk about that tomorrow.

I love you all.

Happy Monday!