Jim Peters

Made A Bad Choice? God will still Look After You!

Posted on 26. Sep, 2009 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Genesis 14:5-17

⁵ In the fourteenth year after making them[1] his servants, King Kedorlaomer and his allies went to[2] war and defeated Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim ⁶ and the Horites in the hills owned by the descendants of Seir all the way to El-Paran [3] near the desert.  ⁷ From there they returned to En-.Mishpat, which means “Spring of Judgement” and is also known as the city of Kadesh.  They conquered the whole area belonging to the Amalekites and the area belonging to the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar.

⁸ Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela (Zoar) went out and set up for war in the valley of Siddim ⁹ against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar and King Arioch of Allasar – four kings against five.  ¹⁰ The Valley of Siddim had a lot of tar (or slime) pits in it and, as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah ran away from the enemy, some men fell into the pits while the rest escaped into the hills. ¹¹ The four kings plundered Sodom & Gomorrah, taking everything they owned and all the food as they left.¹² They took Abram’s nephew, Lot, as a prisoner, and everything he owned, since he was living in Sodom.

¹³ One of the survivors brought this news to Abram the Hebrew. At the time, Abram was camped near the giant trees owned by Mamre the Amorite.  Mamre had two brothers, Eshcol and Aner and they were all Abram’s allies.  ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his nephew Lot was a prisoner he summoned the 318 trained men who were born under his care and chased the four kings all the way to Dan. ¹⁵ That night Abram split the men into two groups.  They attacked and defeated the four kings, chasing them all the way to Hobah, to the north of Damascus.  ¹⁶ Abram reclaimed all the plunder and returned with Lot, everything that Lot[4] owned and all the other people that had been taken prisoner.

¹⁷ When Abram came back victorious over King Kedorlaomer and his ally kings, the King of Sodom went to meet him in Shaveh Valley (which means Royal Valley).

Application

God looks after his people (Lot was one of God’s people) even after they make bad choices.  God will make up for the bad choices I have made if I seek him now with all my heart.  However, much better not to make bad choices and be available as a rescuer (Abraham rescued Lot).

When I go looking for a better land, I also need to consider the types of things that can happen because of it.

1. I end up living in an uncomfortable place (Lot went to live in Sodom and was obviously the odd man out)
2. I get attacked by the enemy (Lot and everything he owned got captured and needed to be saved by Abram)

Prayer

Father, guide my steps so that I make right choices and stay in a position to be used by you to help others.  Lord, I always need your power in all I do, but let my victories be to the glory of your name rather than just for deliverance from things that I deserve because of my own choices.

However, I thank you that you also deliver me from things I deserve and praise you for your grace and mercy to me.  Thank you that you have given me life even though I earned death.

IJN Amen

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[1] “since he made them” [2] “made” [3] El-Paran was a harbour town on the Red Sea. [4] “he”

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