Tip of My Iceberg

Some dear friends from Colorado recently visited, and to help them experience the uniqueness of Florida, we took them to the Wetlands to see a little bit of the prehistoric.

Penny wasn’t delighted; the alligators made her uncomfortable. Their reputation isn’t one of cuddly warmth and closeness. We were in their territory, after all.

Walking around this flash from the very far past, it was easy to see how this wasn’t a place people could stay in. People were invited to go birding, to walk the trails or boardwalk, or take the guided tour in a jeep. But there were no overnight accommodations, no places for people who wanted to explore a little longer, a little more intently.

We didn’t belong there. We could visit, but we couldn’t stay.

There are several stories in the Bible where people were urged to leave places where they didn’t belong, where they were no longer safe. Those who listened were able to survive hazardous situations. Those who refused often ended up dead.

About 2,000 years after God created the world, He called Abraham to go to a land where his offspring would grow into a nation through which the whole world would be blessed. Abraham took with him his nephew, Lot, and the herds of these two men grew considerably, until the land couldn’t support the herds and flocks of both. Abraham graciously gave Lot his choice of places to live, and when Lot saw the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley, he chose that area for himself. Financially, Lot did very well for himself. But where he lived was devolving into serious wickedness. “God continued, ‘The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense.’” Genesis 18:20.

The Lord sent two angels to Sodom and Gomorrah, and when Lot found them, he greeted them and invited them to stay at his home. They agreed when Lot insisted.

That night, old and young men alike swarmed the home of Lot, demanding that he release the two angels to them so they could have their “sport” with them. Lot desperately tried to protect them, even doing the unthinkable.

“Lot went out, barring the door behind him, and said, ‘Brothers, please, don’t be vile! Look, I have two daughters virgins; let me bring them out; you can take your pleasure with them, but don’t touch these men–they’re my guests.’” Genesis 19:6-8.

Lot was willing to sacrifice the welfare and lives of his daughters to an angry mob to protect his guests. The angels had to drag Lot and his family from their home to save them because God intended to destroy these two cities because of their wickedness. Lot, his wife, and two daughters were all that escaped, but Lot’s wife didn’t want to leave what she was comfortable with. They’d been warned not to look back, but she did, and turned into a pillar of salt.

They didn’t belong there.

There are times in life when God warns us away from unwise places and practices, helping us realize He has a better way, a better plan. Places we don’t belong are often traps of temptation that will take us places we shouldn’t be. They’re enticing in the moment; we’re drawn by curiosity, adventure, or the pure challenge of what we know is probably not good for us.

The wetlands are safe if we follow directions, if we stay on paths, and don’t throw food to the alligators.

There are always better paths to take.

We don’t have to choose the bad ones.