Wed.’s Devo - God is the Perfect Judge

Read: Genesis 18:16-19:38; Matthew 6:25-7:14; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 2:6-15 Abraham was entertaining the Lord and two of his angels. When the meal was over, the Lord decided to share with Abraham why they were there. The Lord explained that Abraham had been singled out by God to raise his family to keep the way of the Lord by doing what was right and fair. He was to be God’s representative on the earth of what righteousness looked like. He had received reports about the wickedness and sin that was being done in Sodom and Gomorrah. He had come to see if it was as bad as he had heard. *** The two angels went toward Sodom as the Lord remained to talk with Abraham. Abraham asked him if he would destroy the righteous in Sodom along with the wicked. Would he do it if he found 50 righteous people? God said he would not. Then Abraham whittled it down to 10. God promised he would not destroy the whole city if there were 10 righteous. Turns out, they only saved 3, and that was only because of his mercy. *** The two angels reached Sodom, and Lot was sitting at the entrance of the city which means he was an important person. When he met the men he begged them to stay at his house with him. *** That night the men of the city came to have sex with the angels. Lot offered his daughters but they tried to break down the door to get to the men. The angels pulled Lot into the house and bolted the door. Then they struck the men outside with blindness and they gave up trying. *** The angels told Lot to gather all his family and flee because they were about to destroy the city. Lot tried to convince the fiancés of his daughters to come with them but they only laughed in unbelief. At dawn, the angels hurried them out and told them to go to the mountains and hide. Lot begged to go to Zoan, a small village. The angels allowed him to do that but told them to run and not look back. Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughter made it to Zoan just as the sun was rising. The Lord rained down fire and sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying all of them and other near-by cities and villages, except for Zoan. Abraham saw it from afar. *** Zoan didn’t end up being the safe refuge Lot had thought it would and he ended up going to the mountains after all with his two daughters. *** The two daughters didn’t think they would ever get married and have children to pass their lineage along, so they came up with a plan to get their father drunk and have sex with him. It worked and they both got pregnant and had sons. They named them Moab and Ben-ammi. Moab became the ancestor of the Moabites and Ben-ammi the ancestor of the Ammonites. *** How differently this story might have gone if Lot had not lived in Sodom - maybe he wound’t have lost his wife to its lusts. If Lot had gone to the mountains first, God would have been able to destroy Zoan and gotten rid of its wickedness, too. If Lot’s daughters would have had faith that God could have given them a husband, the enemies of Israel would not have been produced. All of these things happened because those involved did not trust God in their impossible situations. God can make a way where there seems to be no way. We just have to let him do his will, in his timing. *** In Matthew, Jesus is still preaching. He tells us not to worry about the everyday worries of life. He gives us the birds as examples. They live without worry and God provides all they need. He will do even more for us. *** Jesus warns us not to judge others, that is his job, when it is time. If we judge, we will be judged by our own standard. If we would just work on perfecting our own weaknesses, we won’t have time to worry about making others perfect. This will make everyone happy. *** Jesus tells us not to waste our time on those who are bent on being sinful and have no desire to follow God. That is like throwing your pearls before swine. They will just laugh at you and dishonor your faith. Instead, find someone who is hungry for God and spend your time mentoring them. *** We are to keep asking God for things we know are his will, and he will give them to us. We are to keep seeking him, and he will be found. We are to keep knocking on his door, and it will be opened to us. God is a good father who loves to give us good gifts. We are to treat others like we want to be treated. That is what the law and the prophets are all about. *** The way to God’s kingdom is through the narrow gate of justice and law. It is not the easy way and it is full of difficulties. Few find it. The way to Satan’s kingdom is easy and wide and many find it. *** Lord, may we enter into your gates with thanksgiving and joy. May we not be afraid of trials and difficulties but grateful you are here with us.