Genesis: The Mercies Of God

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, January 07, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 19-21
Message: Genesis: The Mercies Of God

Hello My Friend,

Mercy, to treat an offender better than he deserves. Not one person on earth is good all the time, we all have a little bit of evil in us, and given the right circumstance and emotion we will reveal it. As much as we try to live the way God wants us to live we are not perfect, we are going to do a lot of things that He will shake His head to. And while we may see some repercussions of our actions, thanks to His mercy, if we are saved, we never really get what we deserve. “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” - Psalms 25:10.

As we get closer to the return of Christ things on earth are going to get more corrupt and wicked. Thanks to the courts changing laws that allow marriages of all sorts, we are going to see our nations one by one be destroyed through wicked and immoral acts of man. The great thing about the Bible is that while a majority of it explains the Jews relationship with God, it gives a lot of insight on the rest of the world, and state of our world today. If you think that what we are dealing with is bad, think about how bad it was in Sodom and Gomorrah for God to want to destroy it. God promised Abraham that He would not destroy it if anyone righteous (saved) was there, and that is exactly what He did. He sent His angels to warn Lot and his family to get out of there, out of an entire city, only Lot and his two daughters were able to escape.

“And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” - Genesis 19:14-16,24-26.

“And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand,” Sadly, there are a lot of worldly Christians who are going to lose everything they have, including friends and loved ones because they lingered in the world and never told them about Christ. While they will be pulled to safety, anyone not saved with them will not. When Christ returns only those who are saved will be pulled to safety from the fire and brimstone that will destroy the entire earth, those who are not saved will become a pillar of salt just like Lot's wife. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter 3:10.

Regardless of how many see God as ruthless and merciless (thanks to all these stupid films and religions trying to portray Him as such), He truly is merciful, and gives all a chance to escape His judgments. After Abraham sees the smoke filled city, he leaves town and settles in Gerar for a while. It was there that the king of Gerar, Abimelech took Sarah, being led to believe that she was Abraham's sister, and later got a visit from God.

“And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.” - Genesis 20:2-7.

“Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart;” While Abraham was certainly in the wrong by saying that Sarah was his sister, it is the great mercies of God that He warns us ahead of time not to commit sin, and He is the same to all people. If we ignorantly have done wrong, we have a chance to correct the situation before things get out of hand. If we knowingly persist in following through with it than we have only ourselves to blame for the consequences that result from it. Those who do wrong, whether they are a king or a beggar, shall receive punishment for the wrong they have done unless they repent and obey God. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1 John 1:8-10.

It is God's mercy that also brings Him to still use us and fulfill the promises that He had given us. God promised Abraham that he would have a son with Sarah, the miraculous thing was that Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.” - Genesis 21:1-6.

“so that all that hear will laugh with me.” The name Isaac means laughter, Sarah laughed when she heard that she was going to have a baby, perhaps she thought that is was simply impossible for her to have a child at such an old age. Nothing is impossible with God, when He says He is going to do something He does. The majority of the time we do not see miracles because we cannot see beyond human comprehension, once we get pass that and look to God, by faith, nothing is impossible. Do not be surprised if God does not produce them in a way that brings laughter to us as well for doubting Him in the first place. The birth of Isaac was the loving and gracious expression of the sovereign power of God but, more important, it was the fulfillment of His Word and proof of the His faithfulness to us even when we are not the best Christians. It is not enough to know who God is, we must be willing to accept Him into our lives, which can only be done by accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23,24.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercy and grace to save a sinner like me. Lord, I want to live my life with You in it, even if that means I have to give up some things or even separate myself from friends and family in order to do that. I know that all the things I do not only impact my life, but others as well, help me to be a godly influence and a testimony of the great life that can be lived by living to please You and not the world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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