In this episode we continue studying the Book of Genesis. In this episode strife develops between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen and the two separate. God told Abram in the beginning to leave his kindred but Abram found this hard to do since he had compassion for his nephew, who had lost his mother at an early age, then his father, then his grandfather.

We discover after they separated God appeared to Abram to confirm the promise he had given him. God told Abram to walk through the land for he would give it to his seed who will be as the dust of the earth. He would have so many children no one would be able to count them.

Abram believed God's promises and moved his tent to Mamre, which means strength and fatness.

Moving his tent was not an easy task because he had much substance, he had many servants, 300 fighting men, herdsmen, flocks and cattle, Sarah had her staff and since he was rich he had pounds and pounds of gold and silver coins.

We note that , Lot journeyed east and pitched his tent near Sodom. He wasn’t in Sodom yet, but he was near it, he could see it from his tent, like Eve, he kept looking at, and soon he could identify with it, soon he found things he liked about it.

So the next thing you know, he left his tents, near Sodom and moved right in the heart of Sodom and built his home there, he built a house in the city of wickedness.

Why would he want to go there? Probably because the land was prosperous. It was a beautiful land, and the people there were very prosperous, the allure of prosperity often causes us to overlook sinful activities that should repel us.

Lot knew the city was wicked but he looked at the opportunities that lay within the city. He could become richer, he could become a man of influence.

Sometimes we look at the opportunities available to us when making decisions instead of looking at the spiritual risks. Money and influence are temporary but the spiritual harm we do to ourselves and our family may be eternal if we don’t recover from it.

Lot lost his wife because of the city and he committed shameful acts with his daughters who gave birth to children who would be enemies of God's chosen seed.

Abram loved God and kept his eyes upon him. Lot loved God but he kept his eyes on the things of this world, so he moved toward those things and reaped vanity and vexation.

David in Psalms 101 verse 3, teaches us that we should set no wicked thing before our eyes because it will cause us to turn aside. We will turn away from walking uprightly when our eyes behold wickedness. We will leave the narrow path to walk along the broad path that leads to destruction.

Here's the text:

Psalms 101:3  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

By guarding our eyes we will walk uprightly or as David says, we can behave ourselves wisely in our homes, having hearts that don't condemn us..

Here's the text:

Psalms 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

We can choose to be like Abram, live to please God, walk uprightly in our homes, make moves when God speaks to us, and receive an abundance of grace and favor or pitch our tents towards Sodom and barely escape the fire and brimstone that God will send upon the wicked.