Sat.’s Devo - The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Read: Genesis 18:16-19:38; Matthew 6:25-7:14; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 2:6-15 The angels had just spent time with Abraham telling his God’s plan for him and his family. They decided they would share with him their mission since Abraham was such a big part of what God was doing on the earth. They told him they were sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because it was so wicked. Abraham knew that Lot lived in Sodom so he started negotiating for their survival. He whittled it down to 10 righteous people hoping that Lot had at least 10 righteous people in his family or servants. The angels agreed not to destroy the city if they could find 10 righteous people there. The angels met Lot when they entered the city and he invited them to stay with him. The angels told Lot that they would spend the night in out in the city square. Lot convinced them that that would not be safe so they came home with him. That night the evil men of the city came to assault the angels and Lot offered them his virgin daughters instead. The angels had to rescue Lot and make all the men blind so they could not get them. Then they told Lot to get his daughters fiancés and flee because they were going to destroy the city at daybreak. They were to run and not look back. Lot tried to convince his future sons-in-law but they only laughed at him. Lot, his wife and his two daughters were the only righteous people in the city so they escaped. His wife turned to look and was incinerated. The angels had told Lot to escape to the mountains but Lot was too afraid to live in the mountains so he convinced the angels to let him live in Zoar. That was a mistake. Zoar and the wicked people there were saved and after living there for a short time, Lot realized they were no different from the people of Sodom so he took his two daughters to the mountains after all. His daughters didn’t trust God and took their future into their own hands. They thought God would not be able to bring them a husband so they got their father drunk to have sex with him. They both became pregnant and the oldest gave birth to Moab who became the nation of the Moabites and the other gave birth to a son named Ben-ammi who became the nation of the Ammonites. Both of the nations became enemies of the Israelite nation. In Matthew, Jesus tells us not to worry about things that deal with our everyday life. We are now part of a heavenly kingdom with a heavenly bank account. God is our provider who will take care of us. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow and what might happen. God is in the future waiting for us with everything we need. He tells us not to judge others because we have enough to worry about in our own lives. Usually what bothers us in another person is the one thing we are blinded of in our own lives. When we get rid of that in our lives, we will be more compassionate of others who struggle with the same issues. Jesus tells us not to waste what is holy on people who are unholy. This is where we have to have discernment to know who the unholy are and who are the prodigal sons. The Holy Spirit is the one who knows and he will show us if we are asking. The next thing Jesus said was to keep on asking and seeking and knocking. We will reap if we don’t give up. God will answer our prayers. He gives the example of a child asking his father for bread. Surely that father will not give his son a stone. He will give him bread. Even evil people give their children good gifts so our heavenly Father who is good will give us good gifts because we are his beloved children. The way to God’s Kingdom is narrow because Jesus is the door - the only door to God. Lord, thank you for Jesus and his atoning sacrifice for our sins. Thank you that we can come boldly before your throne of grace and receive mercy and grace. We trust in you.