Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord. Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.” Genesis 18:22-26 NASB
In some of my conversations with God, I end up bargaining… you know, making a deal. Maybe we all do a little ‘deal making’ with Him. Abraham wanted to be assured that God is just. Abraham’s nephew was in Sodom, so I am sure Abraham was concerned for him. When asked if He would spare Sodom if there were 50 righteous people there… God answered yes! 45? 40? 30? Yes! God is just and fair. His judgments are altogether righteous. We can rely upon it. Man, however, fails. In our anger we rarely accomplish the righteousness of God. In our sin, we fall short as well. To Abraham’s credit, he went to God for righteousness and justice, not the streets.
How often do I seek God for wisdom on what is… and is not just? Have I appropriated the grace of God is all I do?
God, as this day begins- May I be an instrument of peace, a source of justice, an example of righteousness. Please meet the needs of people around me. Bless the churches in our area. And thank you for sparing America. Our sins are great. We need Your grace. Lead us in the way everlasting.
