What biblical character has been the most encouraging to you? Tell us why?

Jesus is everything to me and the greatest encourager ever. There are so many other men and women of God who were larger than life. Ruth was prophetic of the Gentile church, Boaz the Kinsmen Redeemer was prophetic of Jesus as the redeemer of the Church and Naomi is the redeemed Israel. Hoshea/ Joshea and Caleb were willing to challenge the Nephilim and finally got their chance decades later. Paul’s story is very encouraging as he was a man chosen by Jesus even though he once persecuted the believers. To think that Paul (Saul) saw the risen and glorified Jesus and was converted. Paul is an example of God’s forgiveness.

Lot was Abraham’s nephew and a sinner who had fallen far short of the mark. Like me Lot was a well-meaning but flawed individual. Lot chose prosperity by living in sin filled Sodom. Lot must have risen to some prominence as he became a councilman sitting at the gate to the city. As a righteous man Lot realized that the two visitors approaching the gate of the city were angles. The rest of the story is well known most notably Lot’s wife who turned around to look at the city and was turned into a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters were willing to leave the immoral city, however it seems that his wife resisted thereby bringing judgment on herself. Later Lot’s daughters turned out to be less then righteous, however, that’s another story dealing with the beginning of some rather nasty people.

If a self-absolved man who chose the most prosperous and sin filled city to live in was still spared, there is hope for me. Luke tells us, “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:28-29.

It seems that God with-holds final judgment until the righteous are removed. Lot gives me the assurance that even a far from perfect person such as myself will be spared God’s Wrath. Lot is prophetic of the Church being rescued before the time of God’s Wrath on the Earth as well. God’s promise of the Blessed Hope, the Rapture of the Church.