Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. (Genesis 13:12)
Lot’s first mistake was pitching his tents near Sodom. Known for its perverseness as a city, going anywhere near Sodom was simply putting oneself in the face of temptation. Whether or not that was Lot’s reason for parking it there, he certainly wasn’t fleeing from temptation, either.
I think there’s a strong lesson to be learned from his mistake.
When we put ourselves near places of temptation, we’re really paving the way for our eventual capitulation to sin.
We can’t blame the Devil in those circumstances – he’s not the one who pitched the tent in the first place.
Perhaps Lot was fascinated by the lifestyles of those living in Sodom. Maybe he thought he could watch from the outside without getting caught up in the sin. Regardless of his reasoning, he placed himself and his family in harm’s way, and they suffered serious consequences as a result. The lesson is clear: be careful where you pitch your tents.
Lord, please help me to live my life carefully. Keep me from making decisions that open doors of temptation for my life. Instead, let me flee from temptation and stay as far away from it as possible. By Your grace, when temptation does come, give me strength to overcome it.
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