Genesis 19 + Psalm 15

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭5‬

Psalm 15 reveals the criteria for dwelling with God. There are no laws or specific actions mentioned, but rather the heart of the person. The right thing is defined as speaking truth, being kind, refraining from evil, and generally not harming others. The right thing is emphasized to be a heart aligned with God. A heart aligned with God often manifests in action, but the part that allows us to dwell with God is the heart behind the action. As a result, God will bless the people who dwell with Him with stability.

So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭19‬:‭14‬

In Genesis 19:14, Lot’s son-in-laws dismiss his warning to flee the city, believing it to be a joke. They did not believe Lot’s word about God because he had not developed their trust by sharing the truth about God before. Why would they believe him if they couldn’t trust him? To build trust, we embrace the heart described in Psalm 15. Truth will only be met with skepticism if the person sharing truth does not live aligned with what they are preaching. A wicked person cannot advise another wicked person to do something righteous. A blameless person has truth in their heart; the heart is what convinces us to act. If our heart is right, then our actions will follow. If we believe that the truth will set someone free, then we will share it. But if we believe that the truth will bring laughter, judgement, and hurt feelings, then we are more likely to keep it inside, and that person who can keep it inside does not despise evil as God calls us to. The person who speaks truth from the heart is the same one who loves their neighbor, despises evil, and fears the Lord.

We turn to those we trust during times of need. More people turn to Christ during difficult times than during prosperous ones. If we genuinely want to live for Christ, we must cultivate trust with those who can come to us in times of need. It helps His mission to show people who is Lord and Savior when they need Him most.