Leisurely Lingering

Several years ago a friend and I took at train ride from Blue Ridge, Georgia.  The four-hour trip included a two-hour layover in McCaysville, Georgia.  It was a scenic ride at a nice pace.  Aside from hurrying to catch a train, it was a great day of leisurely lingering and what we’ve come to call – a good junkin’ day!

 

God’s mercy is seen in Scripture from cover-to-cover, but the first writing of the Hebrew chemal – root word meaning mercy – is found in the account of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and the pending destruction of Sodom. “As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.’ But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.” (Genesis 19:15-16). Note – God is merciful and Lot lingers!  Our trip to McCaysville, Georgia was also a trip to Copperhill, Tennessee: part of the town is in Georgia, the other part is in Tennessee.  You can literally have one foot in Georgia and one foot in Tennessee!  Oh, what a spiritual dilemma a divided heart is.  It’s impossible to sincerely and faithfully fear and serve a holy God while [at the same time] embracing worldly idols – anything put ahead of Christ.  While God currently extends all He is – merciful, kind, patient, loving, compassionate – we linger.  God will not always tarry – the day of lingering will end.  Joshua proclaimed, “Choose this day whom you will serve … As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15).  Because the time of leisurely lingering grows short, let us choose and live wisely!