10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt… 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan…. 12 and pitched his tents near Sodom. (Genesis 13:10-12)
I don’t think that Lot chose Sodom because it looked sinful. He chose it because it looked good. Genesis 13 tells us that the land of the Jordan Valley was “well watered everywhere… like the garden of the Lord.” It looked like Eden. It looked like a blessing. It looked like the obvious choice… So Lot chose it.
At first, nothing seemed wrong. Verse 12 simply says that Lot “pitched his tents near Sodom.” Not in it. Not fully immersed. Just close enough to enjoy the benefits of the land while keeping a little distance from the corruption.
However, when we turn the page to the next chapter, Lot is no longer near Sodom; he is living in it. Just a little bit later, he is sitting at its gate, a place of influence and leadership. What began as a small step toward something appealing became a slow drift into something destructive.
No one ever plans to end up in Sodom. They just get comfortable living close to it.
Lot’s story is not about one bad decision. It is about a direction. A steady movement toward what looked good but led somewhere dangerous. And the consequences were real. In Genesis 14, Lot is captured in war and loses everything. In Genesis 19, his life and family are completely thrown into utter chaos.
One simple decision to move a little too close to corruption became Lot’s slow unraveling. And it is easy to see ourselves in that pattern. We rarely wake up one day and decide to walk away from God. More often, we drift. We move a little closer to something we once kept a distance from. We justify it because it seems harmless. At first glance, it often even seems wise.
But clearly, all that glitters is not gold. So it is worth asking. What are the “well-watered” plains in your life right now? Where are you being pulled by what looks good, easy, or beneficial, but may be leading you away from God?
The good news is that Lot’s story does not end with his failure. In Genesis 14, Abram goes after him. He pursues him, fights for him, and brings him back. It is a picture of a greater rescue and a grace that isn’t fully fulfilled until Jesus.
Even when we drift, God does not abandon us. He pursues us. So pay attention to the direction of your drift. The small steps you take today are shaping the place you will arrive at tomorrow.
Josh Rose
Family Pastor