The Light in the Darkness

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

Photo:  melly95 pixabay

Good morning, dear friends,

I know that many of my friends in America are grieving today, and rightfully so.  

As painful as it is to swallow the latest decision made by the highest court in our land, it is not the first, nor will it be the last, wrongful step for our country.

There has always been wickedness in our land.  Yes, God has truly blessed America, time and time again in its history.  Because of this, many people put their trust in America as the "promised land," the "holy nation," and the "most Christian nation in the world."

Our opportunities are numerous in America, as are the challenges.  For so long we have been blessed, that we have fallen asleep in our blessings.  We have gotten comfortable living in the constant presence of sin, that it takes something big to rouse us up, and finally pay attention, and say, "How on earth did this happen in my country?"

I could not help but think back in the Bible, to another story, very similar, and two godly men's reactions to the wickedness around them.

There was Lot.  Lot made the conscious choice to live continually around wickedness.  Lot "pitched his tent toward Sodom," (Genesis 13:12) a land that was already notorious for its bad choices and filthy lifestyle.  He grew at ease and maybe even let his guard down, or at the very least, turned a blind eye to what was going on around him, to become a profitable businessman and leader in the community.  Maybe he even entertained the idea:  "If I stay here, I can make a difference.  I can take a stand for what's right, in the midst of darkness." Instead, in Genesis 19, I can see the apparent difference in his life, as he is now living in the middle of the city, and though he does not participate in the wickedness so prevalent around him, he does not openly condemn it, either.  Attempting to appease the angry mob that comes to his door, even to the point of offering his two precious daughters to the crowd, shows how far his life had been altered, and not for the better.

On the outside of the city, there was another man, who had chosen to separate himself physically from the wickedness of the land around him, and God had prospered him.  When confronted with the angel's message of destruction for the cities of the plain, Abraham did not ignore the wickedness of the people there.  He did not try to defend their wicked lifestyle, or even excuse the poor choices of his nephew.  Instead, he prayed for the righteous people that were there, and interceded in their favor.  The story is a familiar one:  "Peradventure there be fifty righteous...forty and five...thirty...twenty...ten..." (Genesis 18).  God's judgment was not turned from the city, but God made a way for Lot and his family to be spared, before that judgment came.

What caused these cities to be destroyed?  Their sin:  "And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grevious..." (Genesis 18:20) God does not hate the people of these cities:  no doubt their wickedness and rebellion grieved him to the very core of His person.  God loved these people, but as a holy God, He cannot tolerate the presence of sin.  This was not a "hate crime" perpetrated by an unloving, unfeeling deity, but as a Creator who could no longer allow His creation to continually destroy themselves.  

What saved Lot and his daughters from destruction?  The prayers of a faithful, righteous man.

This world is slated for judgment, even my beloved country America.  One day, God will hold back his judgment no longer.  He is a holy God, who created all that is today, and one day, God will judge this entire sinful world according to His holy perfection, and not the whims of mankind.  

There is still hope for America, and for all the countries that exist in this world.  It is the same hope that saved Abraham, and saved Lot, and millions of others living on this globe today:  the good news that God has given in His Word.  It may not be popular to say that God is loving, at the same time, He hates sin, but that is the truth.  People can disagree vehemently, but that truth will stand.

My heart grieves for the latest decision, because of the divisions that will continue to form in families, friends, and loved ones.  There are those who will condemn me for this blog, calling me a hateful and unfeeling person, bigoted and narrow-minded, when those that really know me know that nothing could be further from the truth.  My desire for my country is that no one will be destroyed, as were the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, but will come to know their Creator God who desired so much to see all men come to Him, that He sent His only Son to die for the punishment of their sins.  If God was an unfeeling, unloving God, He never would have allowed His Son to come to die for all mankind, at their very worst.

At the same time, my heart is broken for those who believe that the nation as a whole can be fixed, apart from the good news of the gospel.  America cannot be saved: it is already slated for destruction, as is the world we live in.  Only God's powerful message can change lives and help those who will listen, escape from the judgment to come.

May I, like Abraham, intercede for those living in these desperate times.  May those alive today turn to the living God, to seek their answers to life's questions in God's Son today.  May I not stand in the way of delivering God's message of love--and repentance--to a needy world around me today.

The wake-up call has been given: now, what will be my response?