Day 6: Gen 18:1 - 20:17

Ah yes, the classic story of Sodom and Gamorrah. Who knows how many times we've heard this story in our lives and yet there's always opportunity to learn something new. My wife and I were talking just the other day about how "cut-and-dry" much of the old testament is, and how sometimes it's difficult to understand the heart or the meaning behind the actions. In this story though, I would like to believe that Abraham was concerned with more than just the 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, and ultimately 10 righteous citizens and that maybe, just maybe, he wanted God to spare the entire city. How many times have we as Christians found ourselves thinking or, God forbid, saying out loud something to the effect of, living a Christian life would be so much easier without all of these lost people around. That makes about as much sense as a PR specialist saying, "This job would be alot easier if I didn't have to deal with the media." Or a sales person saying, "This wouldn't be too bad if I didn't have to deal with these customers." Without the lost to concern ourselves with, our lives as Christians we be completely pointless. So instead of just holding on until Jesus comes back so we can finally get away from all of these "worldly" people, let's try to see just how many of them we can get to come with us.

In Chapter 19, I learned something very interesting - Lot's "righteousness" had nothing to do with his survival, Abraham's request is what kept him alive. Gen 19:29, "And that's the story: When God destroyed the 'Cities of the Plain,' He was mindful of Abraham and first got Lot out of there before He blasted those cities off the face of the earth." I can think of a few people off the top of my head who are living in a place where they don't belong, doing things they don't need to be doing, and building relationships with people they have no business being around. Instead of sitting around griping about how we were right and they were wrong, we need to "stand in the gap" for those people and pray on their behalf. There's no telling when everything around them may end up burning to a crisp, and our prayers may be the only thing keeping them alive.

- Father, give me the compassion that I need to have for the lost. Whether they're close friends in trouble or complete strangers, help me to remember that my purpose on this earth is to reach out to them and do Your work in their lives. Help me to "stand in the gap" for those that aren't living right and help me to always keep them in my prayers. Help me to learn how to love the way You love - unconditionally. -