Greener Pastures

Have you ever heard, “the grass is greener on the other side?” What does this mean? When someone is not satisfied with what is going on in their life they assume that there are better things in other places. People always think they would be happier in a different set of circumstances, so they choose to go after what seems to look good.

I think about Lot in Genesis 13. In this story Lot and his uncle Abraham lived in the same land. After a few years together, the land could not support them for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together, and this caused problems between Lot’s herdsman and Abraham’s herdsman. So, Abraham said to Lot, “we need to split up you get to choose what land you want. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." Well, Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, so Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan. It seemed that Lot made a great choice choosing the fertile land, but did he? If you know the rest of the story, Lot made a bad decision. Because in the land of Sodom the men there were very wicked and committed great sins against the Lord and eventually God had to destroy Sodom. Lot’s family was spared with the exception of his wife who turned around and looked back at the city after being commanded by the angel not to. The sin of the city had a strong effect on her. It also had an effect on his two daughters; they eventually got their father drunk and committed incest with him. What seemed like a great land to dwell in turned out not to be so good. We must be careful not to look at appearances. Sometimes what looks good is what God wants, but other times it can be deceptive and lead us to trouble. When we make decisions, they should be bathed in prayer and directed by God. When people come to me for direction I tell them to write down the pro and cons; then I tell them to pray and ask God for what he wants. Proverbs 3:5 & 6 says,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. NIV Then, after doing these things, make your decision where you feel at peace. Let me give you some good advice: be careful and do not make your decisions on the color of the grass.