Abraham/Joseph Week 3 Day 3

Enjoy Genesis 18 today.  As you read, don't forget to pay attention to what you learn about God.  Add your thoughts to your journal.  Then I will meet you back here ...

There is so much in this chapter - lessons to learn from Abraham, from Sarah and from the Lord.  You will have your own lessons and applications.  You may want to share them with all of us via the comments portion of this post.  Here are some of mine for your consideration ...

First ... from Sarah ... 

There is no record that Sarah balked at her husbands offer of hospitality, including a meal, to the three men.  We don't hear her saying, "Do what?  Are you kidding?  Right now?  You didn't ask me about that.  You invited them ... you take care of it."  I may be stretching a point here ... but I know our tendency to sometimes feel "put upon" when extra things are asked of us.  I respect Sarah for obviously just doing it.  She, too, was hospitable and open to these visitors.  I think that is why Peter uses Sarah as his illustration of a wife who is beautiful in the eyes of God (1 Peter 3:5-6).

But Sarah has her dark side ... as do we all.  Her years of disappointment have led to a loss of hope.  And when she overhears the Lord speaking about this promised heir again, her cynicism and bitterness rumble inside her own spirit.   When challenged about it ... she denies it.  How like us!  Have you experienced a disappointment, a denied expectation, that has nagged at you year after year?  In fact, it may have been a quiet presence in your life so long that cynicism has invaded your own spirit as well, like it had Sarah's.  Faith still says to trust God with your life ... your circumstances ... your disappointments.  Faith still says to trust God and His knowledge of "good".  Faith still says to place your life, your circumstances, your desires, your very self  into the hands of our merciful, omniscient, gracious Lord, our El Shaddai.  I am well aware that it is much easier to type those words than it is to practice them.  However, I want to practice that today ... and do it better, more fully today than I did yesterday.  Join me? 

Secondly,  some things I learn from Abraham ...

I am moved by the comfortableness between Abraham and the Lord.  When we witness that in this chapter we better understand scripture referring to Abraham as "God's friend".  It occurs 3 times in scripture:  2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23.  We see companionship.  Easy.  Comfortable.  We see communication.  Friend to friend.  Both parties participating.  But this is Abraham, right?  Certainly not us.  Listen to Jesus in John 15:12-15:

Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made know to you. 

Let the marks of friendship that are precious ... the companionship, the communication, the mutual caring ... be evident in your relationship with your Lord.  Your good friends - you talk with, you spend time with, you enjoy!  We can rest in the knowledge that Jesus does not require us to be as perfect a friend as He is.  He only requires that we acknowledge our friendship with Him by doing what He says.  Thank You, Lord! 

Another lesson from Abraham is the importance of intercessory prayer.  My friends, plead for those you love!  Plead for your city!  Plead for your country!  Follow the example of Abraham. 

And lastly, a lesson for me from the Lord in chapter 18 - know that the Lord, the righteous judge, will always do what is right.  Abraham makes the statement in a rhetorical question (verse 25).  It does not offend God.  God is the judge of all the earth.  We can know that not one injustice, not one wrong has ever gone unnoticed by God.  Not one sin has ever failed to cry out to Him.  He has heard the cries from Sodom and the cities on the plain.  Know that He hears the cries from our land as well ... the abused children, the violated women, the hopelessness of poverty, the abandoned, the forgotten, the broken.  God hears ... God knows.  And, yes, Abraham ... the judge of all the earth will do right.  Judgement always comes ... sin always exacts payment. 

So what should we do?  Intercede in prayer!  Modestly, humbly,persistently ... intercede.