Don’t linger

Imagine you knew your townland was going to be destroyed today, would you hang around? A man called Lot heard from God that his city was going to be destroyed and yet “he lingered” (Genesis 19:16).

Why did he linger? Perhaps he doubted the judgment would come, maybe it was because he loved the place he lived. Whatever it was, the angels, had to seize Lot by the hand and lead him (drag him?) from the city. We are told it was because the Lord was merciful that they did this. So often we can be trying to follow the Lord and yet we are dragged in 2 directions. We want to go God’s way, but the things of the world look attractive to us. Our Psalm for today also helps us, Psalm 1 reminds us that there are 2 paths, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. When we are tempted to linger in the world, we should remember where that leads, it leads to perishing (psalm 1:6). But the way of the righteous leads to flourishing.

But who is righteous? The Bible tells us, no one! No one except God alone. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the righteous one of Psalm 1, who flourished, and yet perished for us, but because of His righteousness, he even got through death and offers life to all who come to him. So why linger in the world, look at where loving the world leads, and look where loving Jesus leads.

Our Lord Jesus is the one who will one day restore all things. I love the gospel reading for today – Mark 7. Just before Jesus heals a deaf man, he sighs (7:34). Here we see Jesus as he encounters the brokenness of our world, he remembers how good it was in the beginning, he longs for the day he will restore, and he groans while he waits. But wonderfully he restores the man, and the crowd say, He has done all things well, a reminder of the words spoken over creation, “it was good.” Jesus came to restore, and we look forward to the day of His return. As you wait, don’t linger in this world, don’t look back as Lot’s wife did, keep pressing on and seek to go the way of Jesus, for there you will find true and lasting blessing.