BUT…

“But Lot said to them, ‘No, please, Lord! Your servant has found favor with you, and you have shown me great kindness by sparing my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because this disaster will overtake me and I’ll die.’” –Genesis 19:18-19, NET

Read that again. “You have shown me great kindness, BUT….” O, what tragedy! See how quickly Lot shifts his trust. The subject of his dialogue moved from the heavenly help (“You”) to himself (“I”). Lot recognized the kindness of God, but thought the LORD indifferent to seeing that work to completion. Lot saw how he was rescued by the able hands of angels, but then believed himself without God’s strength once they came to city’s edge. Lot surely said to himself, "I can't possibly make it that far before judgment comes," and so he made concessional requests based on his own weakness.

Are we any different? How many have had the chains of sin broken by the blood of Christ, but then been unwilling to walk through the door of the prison cell and live in the light of freedom?

“Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort?” –Galatians 3:3, NET

If the LORD has graced a man with a divine encounter (v.3), snatched him from the clutches of the enemy (v.10) given him an ear to hear a higher call (vv.12-13), motivated feet to obey His command to “come out” from the so-called security of his earthly home (vv.15-16) and onto the uncertain landscape beyond (v.17), why would he lose heart and become frightened by the rumblings of a creation under God's control (2Sa 22:8-9). Why did Lot not reside in the LORD's loyal love and “have confidence in the day of judgment” (1Jo 4:16-18)? Are not God's promises reliable (Heb 10:23)?

To put another way, if the LORD has given us an ear to hear (Mat 13:16), and has motivated our feet to obey His command to “come” and step out from the security of a man-made boat of unbelief and onto turbulent waters of faith (Mat 14:29), then may we not lose heart and be frightened by the very waves our Savior has stirred up (Psa 107:23-29). If we are His “dearly loved children” (Eph 5:1), He will equip us with all we need (1Pe 1:3) and see us through till the end (Jos 1:7-9; Heb 13:5).

When we are tempted to say to the LORD, “But…” may we be silenced and hear “BUT GOD…” (Eph 2:4), and then drop to our knees in humble recognition to whom we speak (Isa 6:1-7). Then let our next words be only, “Yes, LORD. Your servant is listening.”

“Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now”
(Hillsong United, “Oceans”)