DEVOTION – DAY 337

Genesis 13:10-12 “Making Wrong Decisions”

Genesis 13:10-12 “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.) So, Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company. Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.”

Abram and his nephew, Lot had large herds of animals and the nearby pastures could not support both their herds of animals. The time had come for them to go their separate ways. Following tradition, Abram being senior, would have the first choice of where to settle. But Lot did not wait for Abram to make his choice. Instead, his eyes fell on the lush Jordan plain that seemed well watered and chose it for himself. Lot, his household and animals departed from Abram’s camp and they settled near the city of Sodom whilst Abram and his household remained in the hill country of Canaan.

Lot’s decision was based on what his eyes could see. He never sought the advice of the Lord. He thought he could trust his own judgment. He chose to be close to the amenities that the cities in the plain could offer. He did not wait for his uncle, Abram, to make the first choice because he wanted to put his own interest first before Abram’s. He thought he was being practical. By trying to keep to tradition and let Abram make the first choice, who would take care of his own interests? That was what he thought. So, he chose what he thought was best for himself first. Many people today think like Lot. They often grab what is best for themselves first. They make decisions based on what their eyes could see, and they do not seek the Lord’s direction. If they do, it is often as an afterthought. And like Lot, they would later regret their decisions. What seemed good turned out to be bad decision in the end.

Do Kwon is a 31 yr old South Korean entrepreneur. After his US studies, he returned to Korea planning to start his own company in the tech industry. In 2018, he co-founded a company, Terraform Labs and launched a cryptocurrency called Luna. He later launched TerraUSD, a version of BitCoin. At that time, many people thought it was a fast way to make money. But recently, the cryptocurrency market crashed and within a week, Luna and TerraUSD lost USD45 Billion of its market capitalization. More than 200,000 investors lost millions in South Korea alone. Do Kwon is facing criminal charges in several countries for the collapse. Like Lot, they allowed greed to get the better of them. They thought they knew better than others.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, please help us to always seek you first, your Kingdom and your righteousness. Help us not to be motivated by greed and worldly ambition and to trust in you. We humbly ask this in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. How have a past incident where you allowed greed or personal ambition caused you to make the wrong decision? What was the outcome? Share.
  2. Why is it important for us to seek God’s direction before we embark on making decisions? Discuss.
  3. What can you learn from Lot’s example? Discuss.
  4. How has seeking God’s will for you first been the right thing to do? Share.