“So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, ‘Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!’ But his sons-in-law thought he was joking” (Genesis 19:14).
The context for the verse of the day is God’s judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. Because of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, God decides to utterly destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. But before doing so, God sends two angels to warn Lot about the impending doom and judgment so they and their loved ones can escape God’s wrath and judgment. After hearing that God will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot goes to his sons-in-law to warn them of the impending destruction.
Lot declares the news that his sons-in-law need to hear: “Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!” That message is clear and true.
However, what was fuzzy is Lot. Lot lived a life in such a way that his sons-in-law could not take him seriously. They thought he was joking. They thought he was a joke.
How could it be that someone is sharing news of the utmost matter, a matter of life and death, but because of the messenger, both the message and the messenger are thought to be a joke?
If God were to entrust you with a message of the utmost matter – a matter of eternal destinies of every human being – would people take your word seriously? Would they respond to save themselves and their families from the impending doom?
How we live our daily lives matter. Either our lives speak of how amazing God’s grace, love, justice, and mercy are, or our lives deny God.
The truth of the matter is, we do have a message of the utmost importance to share with our world. Jesus is coming again as the King, Judge, and Warrior. When Jesus comes again, unless people have received God’s gift of salvation through Jesus, what awaits all people is God’s wrath, judgment, and damnation. But all of this is totally avoidable because God has already made a way in and through Jesus for us to be saved.
How we live our lives bears witness and testimony to this reality or it discredits the message.
Are our lives a joke to others? Or does our life bear witness and testimony to the message about salvation in Jesus?
Praxis: Faith in Action 