Monday, January 7

Monday, January 7

Genesis 18, 19             Matthew 6:1-18

18:1-8  At a restaurant we sometimes wonder if they had to go kill the cow before they could cook it.  For Abraham's three visitors it was actually that way.  It must have been a couple hour wait.  For us two minutes seem like a long time at the fast food place.  We have so little tolerance for waiting. 

18:12  We need to be very careful.  Sarah laughed to herself but God knew it.  Wow!  My thoughts are not always very good.  This is all the more need for a loving God.  Praise God, that is what we have.

18:3 and 10  From verse 3 to verse 10 and further there is a change in the mind of the Bible translators.  In verse 3 we see one of the men referred to as "lord."  In other words, this was a word of respect, much like we would say "sir."  But starting in verse ten one of the travelers is referred to as "LORD."  Somewhere along the line Abraham realized that one was God.  This would be God the Son before the incarnation.

18:14  We also need to remember that nothing is too hard for the Lord.

18:16-33  Should we bargain with God?  In this case I believe it was okay.  Abraham was not seeking anything for himself.  He was first of all concerned about God's reputation (Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?)  And he was concerned about his nephew, Lot.  Usually we try to bargain with God for something for ourselves.  That is not so good.

19  Horrible, horrible, horrible.  This is hard to read.  It is also hard to write about.  Lot was likely more righteous that the other citizens of Sodom, but he could not escape the horrible effects of sin.  It is too bad that he did not stay totally away from that wicked city.  In our modern world there are many things that will drag us down too.

19:22  Lot was safe.  There could be no destruction until Lot reached a place of safety.  God was looking out for him.  God still protects those who are His.

19:26  We must be totally removed from the wicked things of our past.  They must be out of mind to the best of our ability.  Don't even look back at those bad things we have done that God has forgiven.  As we mull them over in our mind we dishonor God.  He has forgiven them, removed them from us.  We should be glad to be rid of them and not continue thinking about them.

19:29  Let us be righteous.  Perhaps we will be the means of God sparing those we love.

19:30-38  More horrible stuff.  The Moabites and the Ammonites were later to be a thorn to the Israelites.  Little sins can grow to be big problems.

Matthew 6:1-4  For whom do we do good?  It should be for those needy people we help.  And it should be for the glory of God.  Those in need are people God created.  When we help them we are helping God.  And we are using resources provided to us by God.  So all praise goes to God and not to us.

6:5-15  This passage is sometimes difficult because I am one who is supposed to lead the congregation in prayer.  My prayer must never be for the purpose of impressing anyone.  My prayer should help and encourage others to lift their prayers to God also.  If that does not happen then my public prayers are bad.

6:9-13  There is not room here to say much about the Lord's Prayer.  Let it be enough to say that we need to analyze each phrase of this prayer and try to express the heart of Jesus' instruction in our prayers.

6:14-15  Forgiveness is so important.

God's blessing to you and your reading His Word

Larry