Keep Asking

 As I read through the life of Abraham in the book of Genesis, I am amazed at the fellowship he had with God. He is called the friend of God, we watch the Lord tell him things close to His heart and time and again God blesses Abraham simply because Abraham believed.

Genesis 18 is one of those special chapters on faith and fellowship. God decides to share with Abraham the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. There has been so much sin in these places that the Lord has had enough. There will be destruction and death as a result of that sin, and Abraham learns the full extent of God's plan.

His response is part of what amazes me.

And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. Genesis 18:22

When the days get dark, do you turn to your husband, your girlfriends or your mother - or do you choose to stand before the Lord? Who among these can actually answer your questions and give you perfect peace?

Then Abraham goes one step further.


And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?  Genesis 18:23-25

He could have stood on the sidelines and watched without saying a word. But he didn't. Abraham drew close to the Lord and posed his questions. What better place to be when something's not right than near God?

So Abraham asked God to spare the city for 50 righteous people, and God agreed. Then Abraham asked God to spare the city for 45 righteous people, and God agreed. They went on this way to 10.

And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. Genesis 18:32-33

Please notice here that Abraham stopped asking before God quit promising. Have we ever tried to put limits on what God can do in our lives simply because we stopped asking?

I would never assume to second-guess God or ever believe that He hasn't worked His absolute perfect will in my life. But I also wonder if there have been times when I didn't stand before God and I didn't draw near to Him when I should have. Could things have gone differently or even better if  hadn't stopped asking when I did?

I pray today that we'll keep asking, keep standing and keep drawing near in all the circumstances of life. We may not be able to spare the city, as Abraham witnessed, but we will be in a deeper fellowship with God because of it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Recovering An Old Card Table And Making It Usable Again

Image
This card table recover project has been on my to-do list for months. I've been using it as my workspace in the craft room for quite some time, and it sees a lot of abuse. Here it is now, with a neutral cover on it so I can take better pictures for my tutorials. There were dents and dings in the old blue covering from metal tools. And yes, I've used my embossing heat tool on it several times, leaving pretty good scars. The padding underneath the blue cover also made it difficult to keep paper crafts flat when adhering them together, so it was time for something new. That's where a simple vinyl tablecloth comes in handy. The process to recover the table is pretty simple, but I learned a couple of lessons the hard way. I share them with you now. First, don't do this on any surface but a carpet. I tried it on the deck int he sunshine to get better pictures, but all it did was tear up the cover. Second, get a second pair of hands to help you kee
Read more

Simple DIY Beaded Keychains

Image
We're having so much fun putting together goodie bags and door prizes for our upcoming ladies retreat at the church. So many of our ladies have donated craft supplies, decorations, time and energy to treat our visitors to an amazing time. These keychains are just one of the gifts some of the attendees will find in their bags. All you need to make them are a variety of beads, some fairly thin yet sturdy cord and a jump ring. Cut a length of cord, fold it in half and string it through the jump ring. String matching beads on both sides. And tie it off with a double knot. So simple, yet so pretty. Here's another variation: Cut a length of cord, fold it in half and thread it through a jump ring. Tie one or two beads on one side and tie it off with a knot. Make the other side longer with additional letters and beads before tying it off. Make a variety of lengths, colors, patterns and phrases so no two are alike.
Read more

Debilitating Disappontment

The things of this life tend to disappoint us. People aren't who we'd like them to be, events we'd hoped for never occur and things we'd expected to happen in a certain way never come to pass. I've tried relying on everything else in this life - relationships, career, better finances. When we look to mankind for answers or for hope, we will surely be disappointed. Our own misconceptions of life's circumstances leads us down a long, dreary path. What we plan and see inside our head doesn't always match what others see, or what may actually be reality. Looking into ourselves for "clarity" directs us straight to depression and failure. Have you ever heard yourself say, "I couldn't care less" and truly meant it? Having confidence in our own power to change our outlook means that we care more about the circumstances themselves rather than how to grow as Christian women. God is the only unchanging factor in our uncertain world. Focusing on
Read more