As I read about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, I couldn’t help but think of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Toward the conclusion of the film adaptation, we see the Pelennor Fields lying in smoky ruins after battle. It’s a scene of utter and complete destruction. I remember watching this scene for the first time, wondering as the camera panned out if there’d be a familiar character still alive among the wreckage. I wanted to see a remnant of the good guys, to know that mercy had been shown to at least one person. Or hobbit. Or elf.
Many of us hear words like grace and mercy and immediately jump to Jesus and the New Testament. But since we know that Christ is “the exact expression” of God’s nature (Hebrews 1:3), it won’t do to assume that in the Old Testament God is any less gracious or merciful.
God’s mercy is not hard to find in the Old Testament. It’s woven throughout the book of Genesis like a flowering vine, connecting the stories and events to God’s promise to redeem. Even when people continued to make bad decisions that brought about their own demise or widespread catastrophe, God still desired for people to be saved (2Peter 3:9). We see the ultimate display of God’s mercy in His Son, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:5); through the power of His resurrection, there is healing for the world.
During His exchange with Abraham, God listened to Abraham’s plea and gave the people a chance. “The LORD said, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake’” (Genesis 18:26). They continued to talk, and that number of fifty was reduced to only ten (v.32). But sadly not even ten could be found. God still saved Lot—Abraham’s nephew, the familiar face Abraham knew and loved. God’s mercy is always there and greater than we expect, even when most people reject it.
Without Christ, it’s our own hearts that resemble that plain of smoking ruins. Even after receiving the Holy Spirit, we still wrestle with sin. We routinely choose to submit to our own will instead of the Spirit. Our sins may not seem as flagrant as those of Sodom and Gomorrah, but we are all sinners in need of grace.
Hallelujah! Christ has broken the curse of sin and death. Even now, Christ—the exact expression of the Old Testament God with whom Abraham pleaded with—invites us to accept the gift of eternal life. He is for us, and His mercy is greater than we think. Remembering this, may we echo Abraham’s plea for the redemption of our own hearts, our city, and our world.
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127 thoughts on "Judgment on Sodom and Gomorra"
Hallelujah! Jesus Christ has broken the curse of sin and death. ❤️
God is SO merciful and kind to His creation. He is patient wanting no one to perish. 2 Peter 3:9
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God rescued Lot because of Abraham’s righteousness/intercession. Who will God rescue/have mercy on because of my Intercession?
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Oh my goodness. I don’t remember reading these passages like I am today. I must have glossed over them. I wish the SRT commentary would have touched base on it. And of course it is the sexual aspect of it, Lot’s offering and then his daughters sleeping with him. Where can I go to understand this better? I saw someone reference 2 Peter above….
I’d turn to a good commentary. But what I always remember amongst confusion OT parts is that often despite people’s sinfulness Gods grace is still present. Despite their messed up actions they graciously got pregnant.
Can recommend Matthew Henry’s commentary of the Bible, it’s very thorough
https://www.trainingthechurch.com/search?q=Genesis%2018&f_collectionId=6009aaba98a3f54e4f9a65f3
I’ve learned some interesting things from the Knowing Faith podcast on this chapter! There’s a lot are several episodes dealing with genesis 18. The link above takes you to the list of episodes that cover it.
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I read through the section this morning in a hurry, and rather distracted. Initially, I found myself disgusted by Lot’s behavior and closed my phone with a whole bunch of judgement on my mind. However, as I thought about the passages today, I couldn’t help but think of my young staff (mostly early to mid 20s) at my workplace. I’m blessed to have an incredibly diverse team that has managed to find ways to show love and respect to one another despite some major differences in worldviews. I thought specifically of my team who are believers working so hard to not only love their coworkers, but friends, family, customers, and others to show them the love of Jesus, but are also constantly being berated with what the world defines as “loving your neighbor.” It often leads them feeling overwhelmed and floundering to make it all make sense in many cases. Suddenly, the disgust I had from this morning turned to empathy for Lot. As some of you also mentioned, it’s so easy for us to find ourselves surrounded by and lingering in situations where God is not being glorified. Initially, we believe we can be the change, but this is where the importance of KNOWING the Lord, walking with Him, having His word engraved on our hearts and minds is imperative for survival. John 17:13-19 famously sees Jesus call his disciples “in the world, but not of the world.” God has equipped us, by the blood of Jesus and led by the Holy Spirit, to love those that are lost, but it comes with work on our end. Without that dedication, it is much easier to be pulled down than it is to pull others up, and eventually we will also be pillar of salt that has lost its saltiness (Matthew 5:13.)
Amen
Abby, thank you for your thoughts. Very encouraging to me and a perspective and lense that I need to remind myself to see things through.
There are a lot of things I don’t understand in today’s reading. From Lot offering his daughters, to his daughters having his sons. I just can’t make sense of it right now.
As we have been reading Genesis, i’m constantly pulled back to the “Living in Faith” study. I’m going to start rereading that one as we continue Genesis and hopefully it all comes together!
As I was out running errands, this song played on the radio. I have heard it many times and sing along, but it hit me this morning just how well it fits today’s reading! Following the lyrics is a post from the web page.
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First Things First
by Consumed By FireAll the things that I have held dear
The vanities that whispered in my ear
What would I do if they all disappeared
Riches and fame and all that they could buy
I’ve come to find they never satisfy
What would I gain if my soul’s the price
I don’t wanna love what the world loves
I don’t wanna chase what the world does
I only want you
I only want you
First thing’s first
I seek Your will
Not my own
Surrender all my wants to you
Keep the first thing first
To live Your truth
Walk Your ways
Set my eyes
Lord I fix my face on you
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
I give it all
My life an offering
My heart is yours so
So have Your way in me
Your kingdom’s all I wanna seek
I don’t wanna love what the world loves
I don’t wanna chase what the world does
I only want you
I only want you
First thing’s first
I seek Your will
Not my own
Surrender all my wants to you
Keep the first thing first
To live Your truth
Walk Your ways
Set my eyes
Lord I fix my face on you
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first
First thing’s first
I seek Your will
Not my own
Surrender all my wants to you
Keep the first thing first
To live Your truth
Walk Your ways
Set my eyes
Lord I fix my face on you
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first.
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Article on sifa lyrics dot com:
“First Things First” is a powerful Christian song by Consumed By Fire that emphasizes the importance of prioritizing God above all else. With heartfelt lyrics and a catchy melody, the song encourages listeners to let go of worldly desires and focus on seeking God’s will in their lives.
1. The Meaning of “First Things First”:
The title itself, “First Things First,” sets the tone for the entire song. It reminds us of the biblical principle found in Matthew 6:33, which says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The song encourages us to prioritize God’s will and His kingdom above all other pursuits in our lives.
Consumed By Fire beautifully captures the struggle many Christians face in a world filled with distractions and temptations. The lyrics remind us that worldly riches, fame, and empty pursuits will never satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. Instead, the song urges us to focus our love and chase after God, recognizing that He alone can fulfill us.”
good! thank you {heart}
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Yes, love that song!
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Thank you, Cee Gee!!
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Thank you for the reminder of this song. I have not heard it in a while. So fitting as we read through this. ❤️
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So much caught my eye today in these readings…
–Lot called these wicked men friends. (19:6)
–Not only did he call them friends, he was just as wicked as them – offering his two daughters. (19:8)
–His so called “friends” quickly betrayed him. (19:9)
–Lot hesitated when instructed by God’s messengers.
–Yet, in all of this – God was merciful!(19:16)
–Lot still, after all this, insists on his on way. (19:18)…and once again, God shows mercy.
–Lots wife just had to look back. (19:26)
–Through it all, God remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the catastrophe.
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God’s grace and mercy are seen all through this. And as the saying goes, “when you point a finger at someone, there’s four more pointing back to you.”
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All this is a warning for me – don’t linger near temptation, don’t plant myself so deep into the world that I begin looking like and acting like the world. Don’t look back but instead keep looking forward with my eyes fixed on Jesus.
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Psalm 1 is a great Psalm to memorize which reminds us that “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take…but whose delight is in the LORD…”
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Father God may I always keep looking to you, letting your eyes guide me – keeping me on the right path. May I always delight in you and in Your word. Praises to You, for your boundless mercy and grace!
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Happy Friday She’s, have a blessed weekend! ❤️
I love your advice on not lingering close to temptation…. that’s so important!!! Why put ourselves in a place to be tempted?, why stay too long when we accidently find ourselves in a compromising place? Great Advice!!!
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Makes me wonder if Lot had been received the same way by these “friends”.
Such a good word to not linger near temptation, and to keep looking forward!
Thank you, Sharon, Jersey Girl
Thank you. This is so good…and I think I’ll work on memorizing Psalm 1 to pray over Little One (and for me ❤️)
Thank you for sharing and for your “warning”. ❤️
God’s mercy is always there and greater than expect, even when most people reject it.
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God I pray that I keep my eyes forward and up on You. That I won’t hesitate and look back. That I let go of indulgence. That I learn to love people better. Oh but God, how I need you.
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I needed to do a deeper dive on this story and found an interesting article. It says, “The point of the story: God’s gracious hospitality toward us. God is obviously under no obligation to bargain with human beings, but he allows Abraham to haggle with him to save Sodom and Gomorrah. When even a handful are not found, God sets out to save Lot and his family from destruction. When Lot, who struggles as a host and fails as a father, hesitates instead of taking decisive action, God drags them all to safety, and even puts up with Lot’s complaining after the fact.
God’s call for us to show hospitality to the poor, the needy and the stranger is naturally connected to seeing ourselves as poor, needy strangers to whom God displays hospitality, despite our weakness and even our resistance. “We love because [God] first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19).
We show hospitality to others because God has shown immense hospitality to us. Our motivation for opening our wallets, homes and hearts to the poor, the needy and the stranger must not merely be a sense of guilt. We offer hospitality out of an overflow of the riches we have already been given by God.”
The Ezekiel passage helped to understand S & G’s sins as well.
Thanks for sharing this Tami! I found the argument interesting too, and came to the conclusion that God knew exactly how many were lost and was just letting Abraham have his say, but it was still very bold of Abraham. Maybe he felt responsible for saving Lot since he had brought him out of his homeland?
I like everyone else feel a call to pray for our nation and world. For people’s hearts to be turned back to God! I’m so thankful for salvation and God’s living provision for us. May our hearts be softened to our world that we can share Jesus with everyone we encounter.
Praying for all
Happy FRIDAY sweet She’s! I’m ALL packed and ready to head out after work! Even getting off few minutes early so I still have our coffee time with my daughter Alyssa. I’m going to be gone until Monday. Not sure if I’ll have service/internet in the mountains. Please pray for our safety for all the youth attending and of course for their hearts to ready to “hear” from the WORD! OK…back to our devo. I’m almost certain I’m not the only one who has found the part of Lot and his daughters disturbing. I wish they known to trust our GOD! Yet, our MERCIFUL God was still with them! Look what happened. The first born daughter went to Moab, where RUTH was from, who married Boaz, who bore Obed, then Jesse, David…….JESUS!! Correct me if I missed someone. BUT GOD…WOW! He definitely EXTENDS grace! And HERE we are because of that GRACE! OUT of time, must get ready for work! LOVE you all SO much!
Yes, that’s good, but then makes me question why grace wasn’t given to Lot’s wife…did she just look back for a momentary…sigh…or what?! So many questions..!
Have a great time friend!
Wow… I don’t know why I didn’t think about Lot’s wife
The angel instructed them to not look back
She disobeyed
Praying for your weekend with the youth Mari, and safe traveling mercies!
Prayers for a safe and successful weekend! ❤
Yes!!
These chapters are amongst some of the most disturbing and discouraging. How sad that there was hardly a righteous person to be found and we are not even half way through Genesis. The free will of our hearts, the sin nature is a strong game. And yet, God in His great mercy always makes a way. We are never a lost cause or too far gone and we can turn from sin, to Him. There is hope. From HRT:
“So despite the darkness, this passage, like so many others in the life of Abraham, should give us hope. God hates sin, and He does not ignore it. He will judge it all, including the evil that we see in the world right now. But for the sake of those He has declared righteous, He is waiting, so that as many as possible might turn from their sin and put their trust in Him.”
Despite who I am, He makes a way. His grace, His mercy, His righteousness, His forgivenes is always waiting for me. Help me Lord to turn to you, to seek you and pursue righteousness.
Good points, Wendy! ❤
The unleavened bread stood out to me today and reminded me of the Passover in Egypt – a hasty meal prepared while expecting to flee the destruction.
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I found this intriguing! I must say these 2 verses propelled me to read all of 2 Peter 2:
MacArthur’s commentary cited 2 Peter 2:7
7 “But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.”
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Wow!!! I am being honest here in saying I am struggling with that! Lot’s actions seem to reflect anything but righteousness. God forgive me for mis-judging!
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2 Peter 2:21
For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them. NLT.
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Keeping your requests close to heart, sisters! ❤
MERCY – praying for favor for you today! ❤
Same thoughts on Lot, with him apparently living in the midst of the evil. Forgiveness needed here for wondering about the state of Lot’s heart.
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I know we are not supposed to judge, but Lot offering up his daughters does not speak to righteousness to me. It’s hard to wrap my head around it.
right? So hard for me to understand these readings today.
I guess that’s why we keep reading and find more in the NT on these passages.
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I have ALWAYS struggled with this passage in 2 Peter….but there are indeed a few things like that in the Bible. I am glad, for his sake, that God saw much more in Lot than I do. And yes, that God redeemed the depravity of Lot’s daughters …with our precious Ruth! And my JESUS!!!
(Good reminder as I bring up my lunch each time I read this section in Genesis.)
Hard to wrap my head around it too BUT possibly Lot had faith that the Lord would protect his daughters.
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❤ TAMI. My reply wouldn’t post until I typed your name!
I agree Cee Gee – it didn’t seem to me that he was sick of it, but that he was right there in the thick of it.
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Thanks for the feedback, sisters! Love you all! ❤
I struggle with Lot too – but then that means I’m categorizing sin and I certainly have no right or claim to do so.
Forgive me, Father.
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This reading once again, brings me to Jesus as I think over the passage in Romans…”Who, having known Him, turned away” … my♥️ is filled with sorrow as I think of our son and family who fit this description…But God!! Praying for all of our Prodigals… Thanking You in advance, Lord, for what you are doing and going to do in their lives!!
Praying along with you for our prodigals Carol. ❤️
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Such an interesting story the way it is worded, and where there is longer emphasis in spots, then how it moves quickly without much thought or explanation such as Lot’s wife turning to a pillar of salt! So after searching commentary it says that even Jesus referred to this incident. Here-
When speaking about the end of days, Jesus warned, “but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them — it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back.
Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it” (Luke 17:29-33, emphasis added).Part of any reference to the day of the Son of Man is God pouring out His wrath on the world. Jesus warns believers to run to the hills, just like Lot, and not to look back or take anything. He then says to remember Lot’s wife, and warns those who want to secure their life that they will lose it. It is a reminder that everything in this world is temporary, flimsy, and will rust and decay. In essence, those who look back are those who put their faith, their hope, and their love in the material and physical world rather than the eternal things of God.
whew. Do I try to hang on to those things. Do I look back and miss things of my life BC? For a while I would kinda brag that I was a shot girl in a club and I got to drink and make money and go on trips…kinda like glamorizing it. Like our glory college days. But they aren’t glorious- I was awful. I tell the stories I like (the not so bad sin in people’s eyes), and yet leave out the “worse sins” parts that are too shameful to ever share. Only God and I know. But sin is sin. Now- thankfully I see it all as a horrible slate washed clean. And there is no bragging, it hurts my heart how I was proclaiming I was a Christian yet not showing in my lifestyle that it was important ENOUGH to lay down the money and stuff, and I was justifying that I loved God. ha. Thank goodness God knows our hearts and how we can EVENTUALLY be transformed and TELL of HIM truly changing our lives. I am more than thankful God was holding out to judge the world. Was I saved? question to ponder.
Thanks for do a deep dive – this is really good. I think you and I would have a lot to talk about over a cup of coffee Rhonda. I think similar wild younger years and the bragging so resonated with me!
Wouldn’t that be great..!! We could always plan a Google chat with a few She’s on a Saturday morning!
I copied and pasted this in an email to myself. I have done it before with some comments from others. I have an SRT folder to keep them in. Some comments are just so good that I want to be able to go back to them. Thank you for doing a deeper dive! And you honesty.
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Rhonda, Ibwas prepping my comment while yours was posted. I just now got back to read through and saw this. I mentioned something from commentary that was similar. Thanks for sharing! ❤
(heart)
I appreciate that you are being transparent as to your sins in your younger years.
I could say the same.
Yes, I do not want to share the shame of my college plus years as I was quite the “wild child” and I had accepted Christ into my heart and had been baptised at age 8 fully understanding what I was doing.
Then I grew up . . . . . .
So thankful that Christ died for our / MY sins !!!
I knew I was sinning but I did it anyway.
God is a gracious and forgiving and loving and understanding God. He draws those of us who became prodigals for a time but after much repentance and sorrow we returned.
He is the great God of second, third, fourth, etc
chances and I praise His most Holy Name for that and for sending His Son Christ Jesus to earth to put on flesh and live as a human and die a horrific death so that by His suffering, death burial and the most Holy of All HIS RESURRECTION !!!!! So that ALL my sins are forgiven and I am accepted once again as HIS daughter and that I will join HIM in HEAVEN to live forevermore !
Hallelujah!
Yes AMEN! So thankful the God of many chances!
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God is the truth and light. He is alpha and omega . The beginning and end. Throughout the study of Genesis we’ve seen time and time again God’s love and hope for us ( his children) and he has not wavered. His word ( instruction and desires) for our life has not changed only the time. This story was heartbreaking on so many levels and it still exists today. I can admit as a Christian woman, wife,mom, daughter,sister sometimes it’s hard and lonely walking in obedience and sometimes I get off track but it’s my desire to be a relationship of respect and obedience with God that keeps me aware and accountable. My prayer is that we as women of Christ accept, believe the Word of God and walk (live) a life that brings others to Him. “Trust His instruction and direction for your life, move forward and don’t look back”
Yes, Amen!
Amen.
Love!
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Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:32.When we should be moving forward why do we keep looking back?
Philipians3:13 “…Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead..”
Regardless how “flagrant” sins may seem, sin is sin and we ALL need a Savior. He came for each one of us, thank You Jesus!!!
Lot’s wife becoming a “pillar of salt” was always so weird to me. I get that “looking back” was bad. I went to Got Questions dot org, and it said this…
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“ The Bible isn’t clear whether Lot’s wife was covered in the salt that rained down with the brimstone or if her remains were dusted with a coating of salt later. But it is interesting that she is described as a “pillar.” The Hebrew for “pillar” refers to a garrison or a deputy, that is, something set to watch over something else. The image of Lot’s wife standing watch over the Dead Sea area—where to this day no life can exist—is a poignant reminder to us not to look back or turn back from the profession of faith we have made, but to follow Christ without hesitation and abide in His love (Luke 17:32).”
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Have a beautiful day, She’s and don’t ever look back. Trust Him and abide in His love.
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Abide with Me, Henry F. Lyle
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Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see—
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Thanks for sharing that, Adrienne! One of the commentaries I read said, “In so doing, she became not only encased in salt, but a poignant example of disobedience producing unwanted reaction at judgment day (cf. Luke 17:29–32), So much in these OT passages! ❤
Thanks for sharing those insights. And, that hymn ❤️
What caught my attention today, was Lot lingered. How often do I linger by a sin or even people who have drawn me to sin. Lord help me to want you more the what seems tempting pleasures.
Thank you Laura and Julia for the comment from HRT. God is waiting on the righteous. Keep praying for our prodigals.
Ladies, I have my first hematology appointment today to continue treatment on the blood clots that were found in late December. I’ll keep you updated.
That also caught my attention. Some translations say “but he hesitated” which made me think of the times the Lord convicts us and asks of our obedience but we hesitate to step out and follow His instructions. I love how that is immediately followed by “because of the Lord’s compassion for him…” (Gen 19:16) showing us what boundless mercy and compassion God has for us.
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Praying for healing at your hematology appointment this morning, Danielle B. ❤️
Praying for success with these treatments, Danielle and no repeat clots! ❤
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Yes, I noticed, too, that Lot savored the rapport he (thought he) had found with the ‘men at the gate’ and tried to save face by riding the fence instead of taking a stand for righteousness.
But God… as Tina says. ❤
Ahhh…lingering. So guilty of that. Yes, Lord, help me want you more.
Have prayed for you this morning Danielle❤️
Praying for progress with today’s appointment, Danielle.
Me too Danielle- I often linger under the guise of “being the light” when really I’m fooling no one!!!
Your insight just convicted me Danielle. I knew I had to help someone out financially but was judging him for what I saw to be his fault for lack of planning ahead when really it was lack of “how to”. I hesitated and did not want to send him the money but finally did, dragging my feet though. Lord forgive me.
And prayers for a good response today!
Prayers for your treatments Danielle.❤️
Thank you ladies for your prayers. If I’m honest the outcome wasn’t what I was hoping for, but is actually easy to follow. I will be on blood thinners the rest of my life. There will be follow up testing in a few months to check on the clot in my leg. She told me the one in my lung is very small. Overall good news and appointment.
I know it was copied below by Julia C., but I just have to include it again. From HRT: God hates sin, and He does not ignore it. He will judge it all, including the evil that we see in the world right now. But for the sake of those He has declared righteous, He is waiting, so that as many as possible might turn from their sin and put their trust in Him.
I am so grateful that God is waiting for more to come to Him. It is my prayer daily for those I love to turn from going their own way and follow the good path.
I cannot help think of our nation whenever I read about Sodom and Gomorrah. The perversion and the wickedness that we seen the news every day is just heartbreaking. May God continue to show us mercy and grace.
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, so sad over the brokenness and sin we see around us. Like Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, we humbly plead for mercy over our nation. Forgive us where we have strayed from Your ways. Purify our hearts and restore righteousness in our land. Give wisdom to our leaders and guide Your people to turn back to You with repentance and faith. Strengthen us to be lights in the darkness, standing firm in truth and love. May Your grace transform this nation.
Amen.
Amen, Maria, amen! ❤
Amen
Amen!!!
“Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?”
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O how often do we ask God the same thing?
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God’s justice is a holy justice. God said the sin of S and G was: Pride. Prosperity without compassion to the poor and needy. Selfish and self indulgent passions.
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On a side note there are a couple fantastic vdeos about the archeological finds about this event on YouTube. Look up Expedition Bible channel “Sulfer Balls” and “the City that did not burn”
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Running late…praying as I get the chance for your requests
Those verses in Ezekiel really helped pinpoint exactly what was going on in S+G. I was always taught that they were being judged for the one particular sin we see an example of in Genesis. It was more about being indulgent and lack of love of others. The beauty of knowing the full story and how Gods Word all connects.
yes, same!
Being indulgent and the lack of love for others. Thank you for this comment!
When I read this I look at our world today and fear for it. I see much of this being repeated now. Lord soften people’s hearts so they see how much they need you. Help them turn from wickedness and know your grace. Amen✝️✝️
Lord but for your Mercy. Thank you! Amen
Amen
For me, these verses are more painful to read now than they were 20-30-40-50 years ago. Sure, there was evil in the world, of course there was. But where I grew up, in the Deep South (or Bible Belt as it was called), the vast majority of the neighborhood families went to church. Whether they were Christians, I don’t know, but mostly the neighbors were friendly, helpful, law abiding and well, neighborly, usually practicing the Golden Rule.
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Fast forward to 2025 (wow, how quickly did a half century speed by!) and the free fall of society and our culture is shocking. Things that never even crossed my mind have become acceptable to the world. Reading the verses in Romans this morning, I just sat here and cried. The believing of lies and rejection of truth – God’s word shows us it has been this way since Eve – Lord, please help us to keep our eyes on You and to not look back or turn back.
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Praying for the lost, the deceived, the prodigals.
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Adding to Bailey’s words on God’s mercy – yes, it’s greater than we expect as well as greater than we deserve.
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I love you and thank You, Lord, for the gift of salvation, for the gift of my sisters in this community.
Amen. Help me Father to keep my eyes focused on You – not looking back or turning back!
Yes it is hard to see and believe how much the world has changed in such a short time. I join you in your prayer for the lost, the prodigals, and deceived.
I often have these same thoughts of just how bad and out in the open sin is these days.
Well said, sister! Amen! ❤
Very well said. I echo your thoughts and prayer ✝️
Very well said and oh so true.
I feel that sin hasn’t gotten worse over the years – considering Lot’s situation, and what the Corinthians dealt with. But – that it seems worse because we have so much access to the whole world through news, media and social platforms…whether then or now, people need the Lord, that truth never changes.
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Praying along with you Searching for the lost, the deceived, the prodigals. ❤️
It’s sad to think that God couldn’t find 10 people of the faith. That’s the way it is even today. God loves his people so much, but WE can’t be faithful for Him alone.
❤️
“He is for us, and his mercy is greater than we think”. Amen, BAILEY GILLESPIE!
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From HRT:
“So despite the darkness, this passage, like so many others in the life of Abraham, should give us hope. God hates sin, and He does not ignore it. He will judge it all, including the evil that we see in the world right now. But for the sake of those He has declared righteous, He is waiting, so that as many as possible might turn from their sin and put their trust in Him.”
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May we seek to know God.
May we glorify Him for Who He is.
May we give thanks for all He has given to us: truth, hope, salvation, life —All in Jesus Christ.
Yes and amen, Julia.
So good Julia! Yes His mercy is greater than we can fathom. May this and His grace to live an honoring life.
Amen! ❤
Amen! ❤️