Daily Devo: January 22, 2025
Wrestling with the Evil in the World
Genesis 18:16-21
The men got up from there and went over to look down on Sodom. Abraham was walking along with them to send them off when the LORD said, “Will I keep from Abraham what I’m about to do? Abraham will certainly become a great populous nation, and all the earth’s nations will be blessed because of him. I have formed a relationship with him so that he will instruct his children and his household after him. And they will keep to the LORD ’s path, being moral and just so that the LORD can do for Abraham everything he said he would.” Then the LORD said, “The cries of injustice from Sodom and Gomorrah are countless, and their sin is very serious! I will go down now to examine the cries of injustice that have reached me. Have they really done all this? If not, I want to know.”
Have you ever looked at the world and thought, “Where is God in all of this?” We can be bombarded with message after message of what is wrong in the world constantly if we aren’t careful. Stories of war, corruption, poverty, despair, and violence saturate the news and (most likely) your social media feeds. When the world becomes overwhelming, we instinctively ask, “Where are you, God?!?”
Today’s scripture gives us a short glimpse of God's conversation with himself before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God has already called Abraham to be the father of God’s people, and God’s messengers, at this point in the story, are enjoying Abramham’s hospitality. But, attention is being turned toward the injustice of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God contemplates whether or not Abraham should witness what is about to happen. Should Abraham be exposed to the injustice in the world and its resulting pain, or should he be sheltered?
God chooses not to shelter Abraham but to let him witness the effects of sin and injustice so that he may pass on what he sees from generation to generation so that “they will keep to the LORD’s path, being moral and just so that the LORD can do for Abraham everything he said he would.” Abraham and his descendants have been given a calling that extends beyond their comfort. Their calling is to be a blessing to the entire world. As the church, we are recipients of this calling and covenant.
To answer our question, “Where is God in the world's pain?” God shows us the effects of injustice and sin so that we might live differently from the world. The effects of sin and injustice are where people need the most blessing. They are the places where God sends his people to bear witness to the good news of Jesus. It pushes us beyond our comfort and right into the open arms of God.
Have you been troubled by world events or the pain someone you know is experiencing? Use that as a launching point for your prayer today. Practice surrendering what is out of your control to God so that you can grab hold of what is in your power to do.
Genesis 18:16-21
The men got up from there and went over to look down on Sodom. Abraham was walking along with them to send them off when the LORD said, “Will I keep from Abraham what I’m about to do? Abraham will certainly become a great populous nation, and all the earth’s nations will be blessed because of him. I have formed a relationship with him so that he will instruct his children and his household after him. And they will keep to the LORD ’s path, being moral and just so that the LORD can do for Abraham everything he said he would.” Then the LORD said, “The cries of injustice from Sodom and Gomorrah are countless, and their sin is very serious! I will go down now to examine the cries of injustice that have reached me. Have they really done all this? If not, I want to know.”
Have you ever looked at the world and thought, “Where is God in all of this?” We can be bombarded with message after message of what is wrong in the world constantly if we aren’t careful. Stories of war, corruption, poverty, despair, and violence saturate the news and (most likely) your social media feeds. When the world becomes overwhelming, we instinctively ask, “Where are you, God?!?”
Today’s scripture gives us a short glimpse of God's conversation with himself before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God has already called Abraham to be the father of God’s people, and God’s messengers, at this point in the story, are enjoying Abramham’s hospitality. But, attention is being turned toward the injustice of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God contemplates whether or not Abraham should witness what is about to happen. Should Abraham be exposed to the injustice in the world and its resulting pain, or should he be sheltered?
God chooses not to shelter Abraham but to let him witness the effects of sin and injustice so that he may pass on what he sees from generation to generation so that “they will keep to the LORD’s path, being moral and just so that the LORD can do for Abraham everything he said he would.” Abraham and his descendants have been given a calling that extends beyond their comfort. Their calling is to be a blessing to the entire world. As the church, we are recipients of this calling and covenant.
To answer our question, “Where is God in the world's pain?” God shows us the effects of injustice and sin so that we might live differently from the world. The effects of sin and injustice are where people need the most blessing. They are the places where God sends his people to bear witness to the good news of Jesus. It pushes us beyond our comfort and right into the open arms of God.
Have you been troubled by world events or the pain someone you know is experiencing? Use that as a launching point for your prayer today. Practice surrendering what is out of your control to God so that you can grab hold of what is in your power to do.
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