Jan 7 – Gen. 17-18
Six times the Lord heard from Abraham in regards to not destroying the region of Sodom and Gomorrah. (These readings are so packed with lessons, but I am endeavoring to comment on the life God gives to me through them.) How patient and wonderful is God? (this is called a theophany for those of you who would like to study it, (Abraham is talking to God), it is thought that this is an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ). Back to my life lesson. God didn’t get all mad or ask Abraham how many more "what ifs" he was going to give him, He just answered him.
To me this detracts from the "God in the sky who doesn’t want to hear from you" image that I constantly have to fight against. Today it is much clearer to me, but the old tapes play and every time they do I just delete them – again and again. This is a perfect passage to remind me of God’s forbearance, His love and His great desire to talk to me. God wants to talk to me, AND even tell me what He is about to do! That meal that Abraham had prepared took hours. They were just cutting it up during all of that – with God!
Briefly let me also say that I should get myself up and take care of my guests. Greet them warmly, fuss over them and make them feel at home. Abraham was like a king and he did, and so did Lot. "If you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me".
