Title: Even More!/Topic: Grace

Today’s Reading: Genesis 18; Genesis 19; Psalm 3; Luke 7

Scripture: Genesis 18:22-25
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

Observation: When I have read these verses (and the ensuing negotiations) before, I have always been focused on Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah, as if his intercession was what would save the cities. While I do believe it shows that God wants us to intercede on behalf of others and be involved with him in the redemptive process, what struck me this time was that God's amazing grace and desire to give us even more than we ask for. Abraham negotiated with God until he got him to agree to spare the cities if 10 righteous people could be found. But when the angels couldn't find even that many, they still found a way to save Lot and his family of four (even though not all four were righteous, as demonstrated by the disobedience and death of Lot's wife).

Application: Just like Abraham, we often are somewhat tentative about asking God for what we want. We negotiate with him and finally get to what we want and hope he'll be okay with it. If we only could grasp how much God wants to do for us and how much he desires for us to be a part of working with him to accomplish wonderful things in the world! God goes way beyond what Abraham actually asked for and he wants to do the same for me. I need to be bold in asking and expectant in receiving, knowing that God delights to do abundantly more than I can ask or think.

Prayer: Father, help me to become more bold in my prayers for others and for myself, knowing that you have set yourself to bless us and make us strong. I am so grateful that you desire to work with us to accomplish redemptive purposes in the world and that your desire is to do even more than we ask for.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.