“Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. (Genesis 19:9)
Since the word “forward” is my word of the year, I did a Bible search of when it is used. I neatly printed the verses and placed them on my desk — which lead them to being buried under piles of papers.
This morning, it re-surfaced. “Get out of our way!” shouted at me at the top of the page.
Lot was harboring visitors in the evil city of Sodom. Men gathered outside his door and wanted to sexually abuse them. Instead, Lot offered his daughters, but the visitors (who were angels) stuck the evil men with blindness, allowing them, Lot and his family to escape.
It’s an ugly story. But the part that jumped out to me was the, “Get out of our way!”
Moving forward is about clearing obstacles.
Most of my obstacles are in my head or heart. Fear. Doubt. Organization. Memory. The list goes on.
What intensity do I have? Not an exclamation point. I’m not breaking down doors. I’m not risking my life. Instead, I work on overcoming them little by little, in far less dramatic ways, in casual ways…
Am I too casual in clearing my obstacles? Is it time for me to tell them to “Get out of my way!”? Do I feel the pressure, the urgency, necessary to move forward and break through?
Lord, help me to attack my obstacles because of my passion for you. Help me to move forward in ways that please you. Lord, let me feel pressure from you to break through. Amen.