“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?

“And Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching…Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching'” (John 21:23,24).

Some things are so clear it doesn’t need any explanation. Like the verses of the day for today. There is no mistaking or misunderstanding the meaning of the verses.

But here’s the problem.

Me. You. And a bunch of ya’ll.

What Jesus taught is crystal clear. If you love Jesus, you obey Jesus’s teaching.

Then how come I don’t. Well, not consistently. Not all the time. And this is the case with you too. So, what are we supposed to do with something like this?

First, remember grace. God knows we are repeat sinners. God knows we are imperfect. God knows that we are going to mess up. This does not excuse our failures and our sins. It just recognizes reality.

Second, this is an aspiration. This doesn’t mean this isn’t important or that we ought not pursue this aspiration. What this does mean is that this is the heading that we are living our lives. Yes, we are not perfect. We may go astray and drift. But we will always seek to get back on track by pointing our lives, decisions, and choices back to loving Jesus by obeying his teaching. This is our aspiration, our true North, our compass heading.

Third, that we find ourselves at odds and are bothered with our failures in living this is a good thing. This is the process of sanctification – becoming more like Christ. As long as we live in our flesh and in this world, there will be a constant battle within us between God’s will and our flesh. Until Jesus comes back again or until we die, this battle rages on within us. The key to discipleship is not perfection. If our desire to submit to Christ is 50.1% versus 49.9% to do what our flesh desires, the Spirit wins!!!

Keep at it. God will guide through his word. The Spirit will prompt and encourage. And it’s up to disciples to make our desire to obey greater than our desire to please our flesh.

The application for the verse of the day is not seeking perfection, but seeking greater impact and influence over our obedience. So, disciples…Make your submission to the will, direction, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit to the teachings of Christ be greater than your desire to please your flesh.

“He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings” (2 Chronicles 21:20).

The person being spoken of in our verse of the day is King Jehoram of Judah. You can read about him in 2 Chronicles 21. He did some terrible things. But, so did a whole bunch of kings of Israel and Judah. But no one else gets something like that written about them!

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled for eight years. In that time:

• He murdered all of his brothers along with some of the officials of Israel
• He lost the territories of Edom and Libnah
• He built up the high places of Judah and caused his people to worship idols
• Philistines and Arabs attacked Judah and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, along with his wives and sons

Ok. This is bad. But, unfortunately, it’s on par with a bunch of other kings that you can read about in 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles.

I am not sure what Jehoram did that made him so hated by his people. Golly. This is written about Jehoram in the Bible! That’s like forever.

Jehoram died to no one’s regret.

You know, I’ve had to do some memorials like that. Not a lot. Just a few, thank God.

It’s rough when no one can say a kind word about someone. It’s rough when the people closest to the deceased are glad that they are deceased.

Friends, you get one chance at this thing called life.

• Be kind to the people around you.
• Be a blessing wherever you are.
• Make the place better because you showed up with the love and the presence of Jesus Christ.
• Everywhere you are, Christ shows up because Christ lives in you. And, because Christ shows up, everywhere you are ought to be better.

God bless you as you seek to be a blessing to those around you!