Thursday, November 17, 2016

Abraham Bargains With God


Genesis 18:23
"And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also 
destroy the righteous with the wicked?"

    When God decided to destroy the city of Sodom, He informed Abraham about His plan. After all, Abraham would be God’s partner in perfecting the world. He deserved to know. Abraham didn’t want to see the death of his fellow human beings, especially the good ones. So he prayed on their behalf and tried to bargain with God. The conversation went something like this: 
    Abraham: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" What if there are 50 righteous people in Sodom? Will you save them all?  God: Yes. Abraham: What if there are only 45? God: Yes.  Abraham: How about 40? God: Yes. 30? Yes. 20? Yes. Ten? Yes.    Abraham struck a deal. If there were only 10 righteous individuals in Sodom, God would save the entire city. Unfortunately, even 10 righteous people could not be found, and the city was destroyed. So why are we given the details about Abraham’s attempt to save Sodom? Wouldn’t it have been enough to say that Abraham prayed on their behalf?
    Everything in the Bible, and every detail is provided for a reason. It has something to teach us about how we should live. In this case, Abraham’s conversation with God is a lesson on achieving goals. 
     Abraham approached God with great apprehension when he presented his request. He knew that he was asking a lot. But ultimately, Abraham was successful in achieving his goal. How? By breaking it down into smaller, bite-sized, mini-goals. First, Abraham’s goal was to have God agree to spare the city for the sake of 50 good men. Once he secured that agreement, he went to the next goal, 45 men. In small steps, he progressed toward his ultimate goal of 10 men. Had he tried for just 10 men in the beginning, Abraham might not have succeeded. 
    Do you have a great goal that you want to achieve? Try to reach it the Abraham way. Don’t go for the whole goal right away. Instead, break it down into small, easy steps, and take the journey one step at a time. Celebrate each achievement and recognize every milestone along the way. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and before you know it, you’ll arrive at the finish line. 
Amen!

Gen: 18:16-33
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You 
And Your Family
Minister Robert Lail Sr.
The Cross Life Ministry

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