Linger Rightly

I read today in Genesis the account of Lot being told to leave Sodom with his family immediately.  I expected him to respond right away, gathering everyone he loved and fleeing to the hills.  But I was surprised at his response:

“He lingered.”

How often do I hear God tell me to do this or don’t do that, and I, like Lot, linger.  Whether it’s unbelief that it is God I’m hearing , or if it’s a reluctance to do what I’ve been told, lingering over sin or lingering to obey does not please God.

As I continued reading I was yet again surprised.  This time at God’s response to Lot’s hesitation.  I expected Him to pass judgment and give him what he deserved.  But this was God’s response:

“So the men [messengers sent from God] seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.”

Wow!  What a glorious God we serve.  He doesn’t treat us as our sin deserves, but shows mercy to us in our sin.  There is nothing Lot offered in this story worthy of redemption, but this didn’t stop God from extending it to him.  Why?  Because He had a plan for Lot and his future was secure.

In the same way, as we travel this road, God has a plan for us whether we’re being faithful to our commitment, or if we’re lingering too long on other things.  May we let Him seize us today and set us back on the path He has marked out for us.  He knows the way well, and He will make sure we read, understand and learn from these little road markers He has for us.

This, my friend, is lingering rightly!