A Re-Pitching

Ever find yourself in a place either geographically, emotionally or spiritually that just doesn’t seem right?  No matter how or where you turn it just ‘aint good.’  If you were to really (REALLY) be honest, could it be, you are THERE due to poor choices.  YOUR choices. (Please keep reading.)  I have.  I’ve been there. I found myself floundering about, trying ever so hard to just get some kind of foothold, but it is as if I am climbing a wet mossy rock pile, slipping Oh so slipping and never getting to the top.  The only view I see is that of a cliff off to my right and left and the threat of falling is so very eminent.  Choices, take us…

Genesis 13, Abram and his nephew Lot have found they need to make a change, too much ‘stuff’ and people between them, so they decide to part way, making more room, giving themselves some elbow room as we say today.  Uncle Abe took Lot and showed him the land, “Is not the whole land before you?  Let’s part company.  If you go to the left, I will go to the right, if you go to right I will go to the left.  Lot Looked. He saw the whole plain of the Jordan spread out, well watered, Like God’s Garden… Lot took the whole plain of the Jordan.” (v9,10) Abram went on to live in the land of Canaan, near the great trees in Hebron and there he built an altar to the Lord.   Interesting, with the WHOLE Garden of Eden like surroundings, Lot heads out and “pitched his tents near Sodom.” The very next verse, “Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.”  It was clearly known what that area was like, yet Lot chose to ‘pitch his tent’ there, RIGHT THERE!  In real estate lingo, one might say, “Location, location, location!”  The area the property is located in is so important, everything else you could say about it hardly matters. (DUDE!)

This ‘pitching’ is one of making your home, dwelling there, set up camp, as we would say today, it was where Lot hung his hat.  Yet it is more, it is ‘clearly conspicuous from a distance.’ Meaning, in Lot going THERE it attracted attention by being great or impressive. He was wealthy, loads of stuff and plenty of people to call ‘his.’  Was it THIS that kept Lot there? Among the ‘ick.’ Was this enviroment more conducive to his ‘greatness?’  Are ‘WE’ where we are, are we STAYING due to this same reason.  We are impressive here, we are great … HERE!  (Point to Ponder)

The next chapter (14) some time later we find Uncle Abe comes to Lots rescue. Rescue.  The word alone paints such drama.  Some kings come and take on Sodom and a few other neighboring places, they plunder  and take captive the people.  Verse 12, “They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living IN Sodom.” (emphasis mine)  Hm… first he was NEAR, now the guy is IN Sodom.  It would be interesting to know the ‘progression’ of the near to the ‘in.’ (or maybe not, maybe it would resonate too close to home for us)  It says that Abe brought Lot back and all his people and stuff.  Abe brought him back, it doesn’t say ‘where’ back is, but I would risk saying, Abram didnt park the camels right at Sodoms door step.

Jumping ahead, we skip over God making His strong covenant with Abram, his name changed to Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael, the promise of Isaac.  Some real intense times for Abram.  Picking up in chapter 18, God tells Uncle Abe He was going to destroy Sodom.  He pleads with God, narrowing it down that if he finds 10 righteous folks, would he spare them.  God agrees.  Guess who is there?  Lot.  He was rescued and went right back.  How many times does God rescue US, give us a way out, and what do we do?  G-o    r-i-g-h-t   b-a-c-k.

I have to interject, as I somewhat playfully jab at Lot, he was a RIGHTEOUS guy.  He made the top 10 list, God kept His end of the deal.  In the N.T. Peter too speaks of Lot,  “But that good man Lot, driven nearly out of his mind by the sexual filth and perversity, was rescued.  Surrounded by moral rot day after day after day, that righteous man (Lot) was in constant torment. So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials. And he knows how to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire until Judgment Day.” 2 Peter 2:7-9 (MSG)   We too, who are righteous have made some of the same stupid mistakes, choices. We know the story, God sends angel guys to get Lot, his family out in time, fully out, minus one, his wife.  I am confident Lot’s choices caused him great regret, it placed him, his family in great danger and it cost him his wife, his home and almost his soul.  TOUGH STUFF.

How many of us, find ourselves in the ‘wrong’ place.  We need a RE-PITCHING of our tent.  It is not just a want or desire, let’s face it beloved, it is a NEED!  We too have made choices where we find ourselves in the wrong camp (if you will) the ICK can be deafening, we seem to be somewhat paralyzed.  We were rescued once, and by golly we went right back.  In being ‘back’ it cost us, cost us dearly, and painfully so.

Loved one,  be bold, be decisive, pull those stakes out, tear down the tent, throw your head back, chin up. Re-pitch.  Look at the land again.  Choose.  Choose the good spot.  Position yourself right up, near and IN the presence of God.  This pitching and dwelling is a ‘double occupancy.‘  “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may ‘dwell’ in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” – Paul, Eph 3:16-20 (emphasis mine)

A re-pitching.

In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love & good deeds.” – Heb. 10:24)