Woven

Life is not fair! You’ve heard that before, right? I certainly have. Normally, I hear those words (or I speak those words) when I feel mistreatment. Life seems unfair when things just don’t go the way I feel they should have gone. Yesterday, though, we read from Genesis 12 and Genesis 15, and I was reminded that I don’t really want life to be fair. God’s covenant with Abraham (and also with us) isn’t fair. We get covenant love, protection, and provision even though we’ve done nothing to earn it. We get God’s promise to uphold the covenant even though Abraham was sleeping when he should have been making the promise. Our God determined that He would keep His side and our side of the covenant, and that is not fair. It’s called grace, and God is full of it.

The very basis of our faith is grace in a God that has purposefully pursued relationship with us from the beginning of time. This week, I want us to look at three different scenes in Genesis that depict God’s faithful, covenant love and commitment to His creation.

Read: Genesis 18

Remember, in Genesis 12 and 15, Abraham had been promised that he would father many nations. In this chapter of Genesis, God gets more specific. Obviously, fathering many nations must start with one child. This chapter is the specific prophesy of that one child. Aren’t you grateful that our covenant God is both general and specific in His communication with us?

Now, Sarah is fun for me. I love picturing her at the entrance to the tent listening in on the conversation her husband was having with the three visitors. I don’t know any of the circumstances that led her to listen intently to a conversation that wasn’t hers. But, I feel pretty confident God ordained that she would hear every word. This was a conversation that she needed to hear first-hand. At the news of a son, though, Sarah laughed. Bless her heart, could this possibly have been one of those situations where laughing is preferred over crying? She was old and having a baby must have seemed impossible. So, she laughed at the announcement and then denied it. I really don’t think we can blame her! Is anyone else thankful that God allows us to have our very real emotions even when they expose the truth that we don’t quite understand His power and might? Oh, He is a patient God.

The main part of today’s reading that I’d love for us to look at is Abraham’s conversation with these men as they began to depart for Sodom. You’ve probably heard the stories, so you know that Sodom was a place full of sin and debauchery. Now, you also know that Abraham’s cousin, Lot, chose the area of Sodom as his. When the Lord announced that He was going to do something about the evil in the land of Sodom, Abraham likely began to think about his family that was there.

Look back over verses 23 through 33. In my opinion, these verses demonstrate that Abraham’s faith in God grew from a place of comfort with God. He was not afraid to enter into a bargaining conversation with the Lord over the lives of the Sodomites. Abraham repeatedly bargained with God for their salvation. Not once did God say,

I’m God and you’re not. Why don’t you let me handle this, Abraham?

No! God listened and engaged. He heard Abraham and responded to him repeatedly. God knew more about the people living in Sodom. He could see the fulness of time, so God knew their hearts and what it would mean for the future if He allowed them to continue in their lifestyle. Yet, He didn’t speak to Abraham like He was a confused child. He just listened and responded. Aren’t you so thankful our covenant God never belittles us? His ways are higher than our ways, but that doesn’t mean He forces His hand or lacks patience with our limited understanding. He’s keeping His covenant, ladies. Therefore, we have the freedom to communicate in honesty and truth.

Is anything too difficult for the LORD? (verse 14)

Journal: Abraham and Sarah had two different reactions to God’s messages to them in Genesis 18. Sarah seemed to be dismissive to God’s announcement, and I think we can all agree that life had given her plenty of reasons to feel that way. Abraham dismissed nothing and felt completely justified in entering conversation with God about the outcome of God’s plan. If I’m honest, I fall somewhere between the two. Can you think of a time when you reacted to God like Sarah? Write about a specific time when you couldn’t believe the truth of God’s message. How did it make you feel?

Can you also think of a time when you felt free in relationship with God to plead for your way? I’m so curious about this. Abraham was in this fight. He felt justified in arguing for the people of Sodom even though God seemed to have made up His mind about the outcome. I just love the comfort he seems to have had with His God.

Enjoy some time with Jesus this morning. How does He direct you in communicating with Him?

Prayer: This chapter from the book of beginnings is interesting. Once again, we get to see how determined You are to communicate with us. We also get to see that Your covenant means we simply can’t mess this relationship up. We can’t respond to You in a way that causes You to leave us or forsake us. You knew we lacked the capacity to fully understand You and fully trust You and yet you cut the covenant anyway. I pray for all of us, and I ask that You’d give us boldness in prayer! Give us the courage to know that we can be our full selves in communication with You. Nothing is too difficult for You and that includes our personalities, weaknesses, and failures. Genesis 18 invites us to bring it all straight to You and to enjoy the relationship You offer. Amen.