Genesis 18 Can God tell you anything?

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

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Genesis 18:1-33
A Son Promised to Sarah
1The LORD appeared again to Abraham while he was camped near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day about noon, as Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent, 2he suddenly noticed three men standing nearby. He got up and ran to meet them, welcoming them by bowing low to the ground. 3"My lord," he said, "if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4Rest in the shade of this tree while my servants get some water to wash your feet. 5Let me prepare some food to refresh you. Please stay awhile before continuing on your journey." "All right," they said. "Do as you have said."
6So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick! Get three measures F60 of your best flour, and bake some bread." 7Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a fat calf and told a servant to hurry and butcher it. 8When the food was ready, he took some cheese curds and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them there beneath the trees.
9"Where is Sarah, your wife?" they asked him. "In the tent," Abraham replied.
10Then one of them said, "About this time next year I will return, and your wife Sarah will have a son." Now Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent nearby. 11And since Abraham and Sarah were both very old, and Sarah was long past the age of having children, 12she laughed silently to herself. "How could a worn-out woman like me have a baby?" she thought. "And when my master—my husband—is also so old?"
13Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' 14Is anything too hard for the LORD? About a year from now, just as I told you, I will return, and Sarah will have a son." 15Sarah was afraid, so she denied that she had laughed. But he said, "That is not true. You did laugh."
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
16Then the men got up from their meal and started on toward Sodom. Abraham went with them part of the way.
17"Should I hide my plan from Abraham?" the LORD asked. 18"For Abraham will become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD and do what is right and just. Then I will do for him all that I have promised." 20So the LORD told Abraham, "I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are extremely evil, and that everything they do is wicked. 21I am going down to see whether or not these reports are true. Then I will know."
22The two other men went on toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham for a while. 23Abraham approached him and said, "Will you destroy both innocent and guilty alike? 24Suppose you find fifty innocent people there within the city—will you still destroy it, and not spare it for their sakes? 25Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the innocent with the guilty. Why, you would be treating the innocent and the guilty exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?"
26And the LORD replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake."
27Then Abraham spoke again. "Since I have begun, let me go on and speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28Suppose there are only forty-five? Will you destroy the city for lack of five?" And the LORD said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five."
29Then Abraham pressed his request further. "Suppose there are only forty?" And the LORD replied, "I will not destroy it if there are forty."
30"Please don't be angry, my Lord," Abraham pleaded. "Let me speak—suppose only thirty are found?" And the LORD replied, "I will not destroy it if there are thirty."
31Then Abraham said, "Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?" And the LORD said, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."
32Finally, Abraham said, "Lord, please do not get angry; I will speak but once more! Suppose only ten are found there?" And the LORD said, "Then, for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it."
33The LORD went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his tent.
FOOTNOTES:F60: Hebrew 3 seahs, about 15 quarts or 18 liters.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation


~ Lena’s Journalin’~
The promise of the “son”, what is that?
Dreams fulfilled? Who’s dreams? Ours? Yes. God’s? yes!
Who gives the dreams we have anyway? Do we get them on our own?
Do we make up the dreams ourselves? Or are they given us by God because they were His intent anyway? Yes.
So when God sends angels/messengers (God uses people as messengers) with a message, a word, to give us from heaven, from God’s heart, where dreams are made, what do we do?
Do we make preparation to receive it?
Do we want to hear what He has to say?
What if what they say is from God is a hard thing to hear or do? It’s not so much the consideration or hearing that is hard, it is the being responsible and doing part that is hard.
Like what if God tells them to say something and we hear God speak to us through that word to do a hard thing? Are we willing to go all the way with God through words He’s given His messengers? Then if it is a seemingly impossible thing, are we also willing to increase our faith in God for God’s dreams to be accomplished? Did it not take faith to believe an 75 year old person could actually birth a baby?
So if we know ahead of time that what God is gonna tell us through His messengers might be hard for us to take, will we still prepare to hear it, or will we be offended like Naaman was, saying it isn’t supposed to be that way. God doesn’t tell me stuff that will be hard for me to take, or make me uncomfortable? Will we make God feel at home in us, at home telling us anything He wants to tell us. Will we make the Holy Spirit welcomed to say what needs to be said? Are we a safe place for God to speak? Or can He only speak the way we want to hear Him?
Will we ask Him to speak to us further than just the first few words, which will be words about our personal life and how His dreams affect us personally? What about going beyond the personal to me part and allowing Him to say whatever He wants? What about being open to Him to tell us more, like a friend does a friend? Even going to the extent of asking about His plans, hopes, dreams, and His wishes. What about being as concerned as He is, about what He loves and what He wants to do using us to do it?
See, so many of us have never gone up on that overlook with God. We’ve stayed in the place of our own need for Him. We want Him to come when we want Him to come. We want Him to meet us when we are ready. He is looking for those who will be opened to listening when He wants to speak, receive Him when He calls to visit, set a table for Him, when it is not convenient, and go for a walk to see what He has in mind for the places where we live and beyond.
When we find it isn’t so much all about us, do we still want to hang around the people of God, becoming more of a giver than a taker? That is a good maturing question to ask.
I’ve noticed on a daily basis I have 2 choices over and over again. 1 to think about myself, 2 to think about God, 1 to think about my circumstances, 2 to think about the goodness and greatness of God. 1 to think about my needs, 2 to meet other’s needs – not with my own strength, but through being a vessel for the use of Christ!
So God wants to save the world? Hmmm? How can that be done? Through one man? Yes! That man Jesus, gave us all we need, we just need to participate. If I participate, that’s one more participator than before. So, are we all in?

Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.