Tug of War
Today’s Verse:
(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 2 Peter 2:8
Have you ever played tug of war? In this exercise, two different groups of people hold opposite ends of rope. The side that pulls the hardest is the one that wins. The side that loses is generally the side that yields. In our devotion this morning, we see a tug of war that involved a man named Lot.
We see Lot and his testimony.
Lot is referred to as a “righteous man,” meaning that he was a saved man. Lot came under the influence of his uncle, Abraham, and was a believer in the one true God. As a believer of the one true God, he identified his faith with the Most High God. When he entered into Sodom, his clothing, behavior, and speech identified him as a Hebrew and not a citizen of Sodom. We must never forget that after we are saved, we are the people of God. We are saved to be sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse world.
We see Lot and his tainting.
Lot dwelt among the citizens of Sodom. He had seen and heard of the lifestyle of Sodom. When Lot relocated to Sodom, he moved there with the intention of settling his roots deeply into Sodom’s economy, lifestyle, and politics. This means he accepted their behavior, choices, laws, and direction. He was assimilated into their culture. The deeds of Sodom are described as unlawful. Lawlessness raged in this city. Even though Lot was a saved man, he was tainted by Sodom’s practices. He compromised over and over again in order to advance his career, influence, and wealth accumulation. He succumbed to the idea that the end justifies the means. Lot lived in denial, but was tainted by his choices.
We see Lot and his torment.
Lot vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The word “vex” means he was tormented and greatly bothered. Every day Lot felt the tug of war in his soul. He knew that what he saw and heard was adversely affecting him and his family. He watched as his wife and children behaved, dressed, and spoke like the people of Sodom. He turned his head away from behavior that was clearly reprehensible to God. I think it can be said that his conscience became seared to right from wrong. Are you someone living too close to the world and with friendships that have led you to compromise your testimony?
We see Lot as a type.
Lot lost the tug of war. First, he lost his wife and children. Second, he lost the respect of people on both sides of his life. Third, he lost his possessions in Sodom. Everything material he owned burned when God judged that wicked city. Fourth, he lost his own self dignity by succumbing to drunkenness. In the end, when he lost the tug of war he went tumbling down very hard. He is a type of the failure that inevitably follows compromised decisions.
The devil is a master at playing tug of war with us. He always has his side stacked with a stronger pull. The best decision for us to make is that we will not play tug of war with the devil. Make a decision not to vex your soul with the unlawful deeds of this world. Instead, be steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.
Have a victorious God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Romans 14-16