GENESIS 19:27-28. “And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.” BEFORE THE LORD. There he stands in solitary watch, where daily, he had stood his watch before. The man who God Himself was willing to call, “friend;” alone he watches smoke ascend – And wondering – waits to hear the word of hope from those for whom he made his intercession. There’s less than ten – I wonder if it’s possible that six at least survived?
To stand one’s place before the Lord, gives insights that at times can bring us pain. Standing in such a place, we see, from God’s view, multitudes of people wanting gain. Gain, not just quiet satisfaction from simple things like peace and love and home – But gain for gain itself – missing satisfaction for desires that never can be met – by gain.
He watches the smoke – remembering a young man following his steps of faith and commitment. He remembers, with that black background – the day the now successful man – made fatal choice. The choice for gain, led to watered valley, filled with sin-polluted men and women wanting gain. The captivity, from which, by the sword, the older set the younger free – was a lesson lost.
Again, as smoky darkness covers the once-green valley, now aflame from end to end – The watcher, smile-less and heartsick – sees and hears the evidence of morals long decayed. And thinking about a just man – son of his brother, but like a son to him – is he saved or lost? Can it be that one blessed and living close to heaven’s door, gain so much, that all of real value will be lost?
There is no tangible result, that ever can be worth the loss of children and of wife – Yes, life itself is not worth living, if that for which we love and yearn for – be lost for gain. There never is, nor ever can be, an alleviation of remorse for efforts wasted on such trifles.
I, a watcher, look in a mirror, and stop to evaluate the object of the efforts of my life – and I pray!
“O gracious God, I fear that what I have put the efforts of my life into, have the stamp of me instead of God. O what a loss it would be, if efforts put forth to further the kingdom of God, turn out to be self-efforts that secretly have been for self-glory. “Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust. Amen.”