Read to Read
Again…
Daily Reading: Genesis 19-21
Genesis 19:27
And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:
Abraham was not a perfect man. He doubted God about him and Sarah having a baby, he lied to King Abimelech about Sarah being his sister instead of his wife (a half truth is a complete lie), and no doubt there were other issues of sin that he committed. That is the natural side of the man of faith. Yet, as a person of faith, he also communed with God. What a wonderful quality in any person, that they have a daily relationship with the Lord God.
The average person in the world may not be able to get the leader of their country on the phone, or their state governor, or their legislative representative. It may be difficult to even get your pastor on the phone. But there He waits. The Lord God in Heaven standing by waiting for your presence before Him. He always receives your prayers, He always listens, He is always there waiting to spend time with you.
Do you doubt this? Think about Adam and Eve. They sinned, yet God came looking for them. In today’s reading, in chapter 21, we read of Hagar and Ishmael’s plight. Did you notice that God found them, provided for them, gave them a wonderful promise, and cared for them? In the New Testament Jesus clearly stated in Luke 19:10 that He is searching for the lost: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. As the Chief Shepherd He is searching for the lost sheep.
Sheep know and follow the voice of their shepherd (see John 10). God’s sheep, the Lord’s sheep, the sheep of His pasture seek Him. There is within them the innate need to be with the Shepherd and Bishop of their soul, just as Peter pointed out in 1 Peter 2:25. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Abraham, on this particular day (19:27), demonstrates three qualities that would be good for God’s children to emulate every day.
1) He got himself up…early in the morning… the best part of the day.
2) …to the place… This place is mentioned in Genesis 18:1. The place where we meet with the Lord is not necessarily geographical but rather positional. The physical place may change, but the act of being in our place, presenting ourselves to him is largely spiritual. For we worship Him …in spirit and in truth. John 4:24
3) …where He stood before the Lord. On this day he put himself in a place where he once met with the Lord. Just he and the Lord… spending time together (see 18:22).
Notice that in verse 29 Abraham’s prayer was answered even though he might not have known it at the time. There is always a benefit found in spending time with the Lord. To this pastor, one of the most underutilized privileges a child of God has is the opportunity to build a daily, all day long, every day, life-long relationship with the King of kings, the Lord of lords, who holds and controls all power in heaven and on earth. The Lord Jesus Christ.
William T. Howe Ph.D.
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