For their sakes

but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. 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? Gen 18:23-24

Remember when Sodom and Gomorrah were about to be destroyed. For the righteous few Abraham asked if God could spare the cities. The numbers however did not get to what he asked pardon for. He started at fifty went down to forty, 45, 40, 30, till he was at ten. For that number the Lord had agreed that He would spare the city. Now only four could be found and so the city had to be destroyed. Imagine a city however small and would ten not be a very small number. Imagine what level of sin abounded in that city, that only four people qualified to be saved. Doesn’t imagining it even bring shudders to you when you look at what is happening today? How many even seem righteous in the world we live in today? How much is being condoned as not sin but a way of living these days. Things have changed. But have they really changed? Sin is still sin. However much we wish to dress it up and call it a new way of life or a new perspective, IT IS STILL SIN.
But rejoice for not all is lost. For your prayer, for just your petition, the Lord can and still will save your loved ones from whatever situation that may be around them.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.-James 5:16

Jehovah Jireh

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. - Gen 22:8
Reading the story of the intended sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, one wonders if they were in the shoes of Isaac if they would have obeyed Abraham's commands. Isaac had been wondering what was about to happen and waited until they were alone to ask where the lamb for the sacrifice was. After the answer he may have had doubts but still obeyed being tied up to be made the offering. Isaac only obeyed and trusted his father. Abraham thought that after killing Isaac he would be raised from the dead, thus providing Himself a sacrifice by raising up Isaac. However the real provision was seen by the lamb and Isaac remained untouched.
How many times have we been asked to give our all into something and we have held back? We look and say there’s no way we can part with that which we so love. There is no way of a reversal after giving up everything.
If only we could trust God’s word and wait on Him and say with Abraham “The Lord will provide” or “The Lord will see.”

Psalm 136

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever. "

21 Verses

I'm yet to finally write something over these. For now, ponder with me:)

"For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. "

Romans 11:16-36

The four lepers

As was the rule, lepers were kept outside the city and the gates were the closest they’d get to the city. They were kept at bay so to speak. These four considered their position and they chose an option which had the best odds. Their choice had the possibility of human compassion- so they hoped. The Lord had already prepared the way and these were going to be the instruments used in letting the Israelites know that Elisha’s prophecy of the previous day had come to pass. The went into the Syrian’s camp and they saw that there was plenty and no one to oppose them. They collected as much as they could and ate to their satisfaction but amidst all this, they still felt obliged to let others know. They said “We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.” Indeed it was a day of good tidings and those who came with the tidings were people who had been cast out of the city. They did not feel resentment towards those within the city and becoz of their gratefulness they let others know. They had taken a wager by going into the camp of the Syrians and when their bet had paid off, they let others in on the deal. Likewise today many of us have come across abundance and yes, we do not well by withholding the goods news. On the other hand let us not mistrust the bearers of goods news, let us at least test and confirm their news. God’s promises always have supporting evidence, so come on and let’s explore :)

Selection

I was reading the way Isaac got his wife
His father is the one who’d said where his wife should come from
A messenger was sent to look for that wife
His brief was to get a wife if he’d be allowed to
If not, then he’d come back without one
It seemed a daunting task
Getting someone a wife
To make his job easier the messenger did what we seldom think of in such cases
He relied not on his own understanding but asked for God for help
He needed God to confirm for him if he’d found the right person for Isaac
In His hands………..

Delivering through others- for God

“We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” –Daniel 6:5

This has to be one of the people in the Bible I’d want to meet. No fault could be found in him. The other king’s officials saw that the only way that they could try and find fault with him had to be his beliefs. So they influenced the king to make a decree stopping all people from praying to any God or giving praise to any God for 30 days. With this in mind Daniel went forward and continued with his daily routines. Thrice a day he’d pray as before during the time of the decree. Now the officials had something to pin on him. All things they logically could use against him were now at play and they were now certain of Daniel’s demise. After all, the law of the Medes and Persians was that o decree or statute made by the king could be changed. The king lamented this turn of events and tried the whole day to find a way of absolving Daniel. But the law is the law. That night the king fasted and never slept, all because of Daniel. Daniel’s character and way of life was such that the king believed in the power of Daniel’s God and knew that he could deliver him. Nonetheless being the king he could not go against his officials. Something had to give before he could decree that all people should fear the living God of Daniel as He’s true to His word and works wonders and acknowledged that His kingdom shall never be destroyed. Because of one man’s actions and lifestyle, a person in authority did more than what that one man could do in order for people to follow God. May we live a life that makes people in authority do what we otherwise would not be in a position to do for our God in the positions we hold.

Solomon's shoes

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. - Ecclesiastes 2:10

Ah! If only we could be in Solomon’s shoes.
To have had the privilege to do as we wish! To put into action all our whims and pleasures!
To be the wisest person to have ever lived!
Yes! That would be the ultimate. Then everything would be as we wished. BUT, do you know what he concluded after being able to do all he desired and having all that he could ever wish for?

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.- Ecclesiastes 2:11

Blessed indeed he was with wisdom. And blessed he was such that nothing of all he did led to his early death. Instead he was granted life and an opportunity to preach on his experiences afterwards. If that had not been done how many would have listened. In this instance we should learn from his experiences as not many of us have that privilege in God’s light to experience sin first hand and live to tell about it without its scars. Vanity of vanities! Indeed we should just do as we were created for.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.-Ecclesiastes 12:13-14