“Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:28-30 English Standard Version)
This is your “Monday Short” meditation, possibly. If my words fail to be as succinct as I start out to write, I still hope this meditation moves you to take a look at the story of Lot and motivates you to search in the Bible to see how Lot had separated from Abraham because of discord and definite strife between the two related men’s herdsmen. Lot settled in the city of Sodom. Sodom was a place where the population was filled with ugly wickedness, ungodly people wading deep in unrighteousness, or let us say, the people who were sinning against God.
How long did the city of Sodom rebel against the ways of God? I can’t tell you. But the conditions persisted long enough. They existed to the extent that God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the latter being no better than the former. Does this make you think about how long certain conditions will be tolerated in your part of the world?
Well, back to Lot. The Lord sent two angels, two of His messengers, to rescue Lot’s family from the judgment that was coming: the consequential destruction of the two cities. The Lord did destroy the sinful, unrepentant, immoral people of the two aforementioned cities. Listen! Make no mistake about it, God will only put up with the wickedness of men and women for so long. For some, those words are a warning. For others, those are words of hope.
Regardless of how the words were perceived by you personally, whether a warning or hope, read on. In Lot’s story, we see that all of his family members who adhered to the words of the sent messengers were saved. The one exception was Lot’s wife, who by her own volition, her own choice, perished and decided to look back after being told not to look back. As a side note, our path should always be forward and upward, and we should never long for the past or look back to the standard of living from which God saved us.
You see, likewise, just as in the days of Lot, the Lord will do away with the unrighteous and the immoral who are dominating and contaminating any place in His creation. That applied to the right now, but more importantly it ultimately applies to the times that proceed the return of Christ, the second coming, the second advent. Therefore, I want to encourage you to listen to today’s sent messengers, the angels of the church, pastors, who come with a specific message just for you. What they have to say will save you from the power, the presence, and if you have not already accepted Jesus and decide to come to Him, God’s sent word will save you from the penalty of sin if you can come to Jesus by faith.
Sorry, but I cannot stop, not yet. You see, places and people in this world that are influencing and spreading immorality by deciding not to live by God’s principles or follow Jesus’ precepts and examples will face a “likewise day.” Hence, do your best to stand up for the Lord and to live by His word, following His instructions. Oh, I could go on, but I have already gone longer than a typical Monday Short. But I have no regrets. For I must call all who read this meditation to consider their ways and to find hope in the Lord. A day that fits the Savior’s words is coming, “Likewise, just as in the days of Lot…” Share this with someone, anyone, or even everyone. Be blessed!
“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” (Psalm 1:4-5 King James Version)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King