Wed.’s Devo - The Cry of Sin and the Blessing of Righteousness

Read: Genesis 18:20-19:38; Matthew 6:25-7:14; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 2:6-15
The two angels that brought Abraham and Sarah such great news of new life and promotion were also on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah to bring death and demotion. The cry of sin had reached the ear of God and they were coming to see if it was as bad as it sounded. The Hebrew for “cry” was “shriek”. Their sin had sent a shriek to heaven. It makes me think of the shriek of a raven. I wonder what righteousness sounds like in heaven - maybe the cooing of a dove.
Abraham knew that Lot lived in Sodom, so he started negotiations. He went from 50 down to 10 and stopped there hoping that 10 would be enough righteous men to save the city. There were only four and only three made it. The angels got their answer when they got there. In 2 Peter 2:7,8 it says that Lot was vexed with the filthy conversation and unlawful deeds of the wicked from day to day. His daughters were born and grew up in Sodom which was how they could come up with the horrific idea of getting their father drunk to have sex with him to carry on his line. From their seed we have the Moabites and the Ammonites.
In Matthew, Jesus covers the commandment about coveting. He told them to stop worrying about the peripheral things like what you are going to eat or drink, or what to wear because their spirit is much more important. He compares what man does to what God does. He feeds the birds, clothes the lilies and they don’t worry that God won’t take care of them. God knows our needs and promises to meet them. If we seek his kingdom first we will not only get our basic needs met but we will also get his righteousness. Then our outside and our inside will be fed and clothed.
Not only should we not covet the good things others have but we should not judge the wrong we see in others. For every wrong thing we see in others, we should look for the same thing in ourselves. That will cause us to hold our tongues.
God wants to give us his good gifts so all we have to do is ask for them.
Lord, we do desire to be clothed in your righteousness, and to seek your kingdom first on the earth and in us. We desire your gifts so that we can give them to others. Pour out your Spirit on our land.