Day 7, or January the 7th. It's never too late
to live positively. Our thought today is rooted
in Genesis chapter 18, verse 2. Abraham looked
up and saw three men standing nearby. When he
saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his
tent to meet them, and bowed low to the ground.
First the big picture surrounding this verse.
God appears to Abraham and Sarah again, but his
promise of a son is once again greeted with a
laugh, this time from Sarah, who is asked, Is
anything too difficult for the Lord? This is
almost the same question posed by the angel when
he speaks to Mary, mother of Jesus, when she
is told she is to have a baby, even though she
is still a virgin. Meanwhile, the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah are destroyed, just as God predicts,
through two angels who visit Sodom where Lot
lives. Abraham pleads with them for a stay of
execution, but in the end, the inevitable happens.
The angels, who appear as normal men, see the
wickedness for themselves, and Lot has to give
them shelter in his home before they finally
escape. Sadly, Lot's wife perishes in a unique
way by becoming a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters
both have sex with him and produce a son each.
One is called Moab, whose descendants become
the Moabites, and the other is called Ben -Ami,
whose descendants become the Ammonites. Both
these groups of people hate the Jews for centuries,
and are hated in return. And now our action step
for today. Abraham is still childless and getting
older and older, but he sets an example for all
of us to follow. In chapter 18 we read that he
runs, hurries, and runs again. Not bad for someone
just short of his hundredth birthday. He doesn't
let the fact that everything in his own life
isn't perfect affect how he relates to others.
Sometimes things just rub us up the wrong way.
Sometimes it's people who do it to us. Don't
let people determine how you will lead your life
today. Lead it joyfully with the help and guidance
of the Holy Spirit.