WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JANUARYÂ 25, 2022
TOPIC: DON’T CHOOSE BY SIGHT
BY T. O. BANSO
“Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other” (Genesis 13:11 New King James Version).
Life is about making choices. And once you make a choice, it controls you. Therefore, you must be careful when making choices. Never make choices by sight. In other words, don’t make choices based on appearance or solely on what you see. You may regret it later because there is more than what you see with your physical eyes. Obey the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit guide you.
I recall a couple that was looking for a property to rent for use as business premises. The agent took them to look at some. They were satisfied with some of the properties and were faced with making a choice. But the husband told the wife they should go for a particular one. He had no reason to justify his choice other than being led by the Holy Spirit. However, from a natural point of view, it didn’t appear to be the right choice because the road to the property was terribly bad.
Nevertheless, they paid the rent and moved into the property, which, eventually, proved to be the right choice. The bad road was fixed by the government sometime later and till today happens to be one of the best roads in that neighbourhood. In addition, the business enjoyed a stable location because the landlord didn’t give the tenant any reason to move out against their wish. I’m not saying any property that has a bad access road is the will of God for anyone searching for a property to rent! I’m talking about not making a choice based only on what you see or the appearance of someone or something.
The prophet Samuel thought that Eliab was the person God had chosen to be anointed as king in place of Saul but God told him, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 New King James Version). God rejected all the other sons of Jesse until David was brought and was anointed as king (verses 8-13).
Don’t choose by sight. Don’t reject or choose an option because of only what you see. This is true of a decision on marriage partner, profession, employment, residence, location, purchase, etc. What appears good may not be good eventually. What is good today may not be good tomorrow.
Don’t choose to marry a brother or sister because of his or her zeal for the Lord, his spiritual gift, or his position in the fellowship or church. It doesn’t mean he or she is God’s will for you or will make a good wife/husband. Some are regretting today because the zeal in their spouses on which they based their decision to marry them disappeared after marriage! The prayer warrior is no longer praying! A higher salary should not be the only reason for accepting a job offer. There could be more to it than what you see. Have you prayed about it? Don’t choose by sight or based on the externals. All that glitters is not gold.
Eve chose by sight and caused the fall of man. Genesis 3:6 says, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (New King James Version). In other words, she saw that death (the tree) was good for food! She saw that death (the tree) was pleasant to the eyes!
God had commanded Adam in Genesis 2:16-17, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (New King James Version). But Eve, deceived by the serpent, saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes. How could God say something was forbidden and someone allowed the serpent to tell her that God was lying? She ate the fruit and gave it to her husband, and he ate it. And man fell.
Don’t choose something because it is pleasant to the eyes. It may be pleasant to the eyes, but what does the Word of God say? Something may appear attractive to you but have you considered what the Bible says? No matter how sin is glamorized, sin is sin. Society may accept what God has forbidden, don’t choose it. Choose based on God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Lot chose by sight and suffered for it. “And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other” (Genesis 13:10-11 New King James Version). Did you see the phrase “Lot chose for himself”?
Physically, Lot’s choice was good because he had flocks and herds. But spiritually, it was a disaster. “Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD” (verses 12-13 New King James Version). Lot’s choice brought him as far as Sodom whose men were exceedingly wicked and sinful against God. Ezekiel 16:49 says Sodom’s sins were pride, laziness, and gluttony, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.
Lot chose based on the economic benefit; he didn’t consider or was ignorant of the spiritual aspect. Because of his bad decision, he was captured when King Kedorlaomer and his allies invaded and plundered Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 14:12). It took the intervention of Abraham to rescue him. When Abraham learned of it, he went with the 318 men born into his household to rescue him and others (verses 14-16).
Also, when God said He would destroy Sodom, Abraham, because of Lot, interceded for it. He pleaded that God should not destroy the righteous with the wicked. But God could not find ten righteous people in the city and, therefore, destroyed it. Before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the angels brought Lot, his wife, and two daughters out of the city and allowed them to escape. But Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:16-26).
Although Lot and his two daughters escaped, the daughters, probably influenced by the sexual immorality of Sodom and Gomorrah, made their father drink wine so that he had sexual relations with them and impregnated them. They said they wanted to preserve the lineage of their father (Genesis 19:30-38). Lot’s problem began with his wrong choice. He chose based on appearance. The Bible says he chose for himself. “Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other” (Genesis 13:11 New King James Version). Don’t choose for yourself.
Ask for God’s guidance. Don’t choose based on what you see. There are other things you can’t see with your physical eyes. Don’t be wise in your own eyes.“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12 New King James Version). Proverbs 3:5-6 says you should trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Verse 7 says you should not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.
Don’t choose by sight. It is not everything pleasant to the eyes that you should go for. Bathsheba must have been pleasant to David’s eyes that evening that he saw her bathing! “Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (2 Samuel 11:2 New King James Version).
The greatest regret of David would, probably, be that he impregnated Bathsheba and killed the husband, Uriah, to cover up. He chose what he saw but he was wrong; she was another person’s wife. Don’t choose everything pleasant to the eyes. Don’t forget the Bible’s warning against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).
Jacob’s plate of red pottage must have been pleasant to Esau’s eyes that day he was hungry and chose it above his birthright. It was a foolish choice (Genesis 25:29-34). The Bible calls him a profane person. He wept for his father’s blessing thereafter but it was too late for him (Hebrews 12:16).
But Moses did not choose the throne of Egypt that he could see with his physical eyes. He knew that there was something greater than that throne. The writer of Hebrews says it was by faith that Moses when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, the Israelites, instead of enjoying the passing pleasures of sin. Because Moses was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him, he considered it better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt. Therefore, he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:24-27).
Don’t choose based only on what you see with your physical eyes. Pray and seek God’s guidance. Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me not to choose by only what I see with my physical eyes. Guide me to make the right choices that I will not regret later in life. Father, have mercy on me and deliver me from the consequences of my bad choices in the past.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
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