10-27-2015

Good Morning All!!

          Genesis 15:16; “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

       Another verse that will make us scratch our head.  What on earth does this mean?  “For the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”  How full does it have to get?  Whenever I read this verse, I think of a banana that is ripening.  How ripe do you want that banana to get?  At some point in time, it goes from ripe to rotten.  Why would God allow sin get ripe or reach its full measure; why not stop sin before it gets too far along?  What do we read this to mean?

     As we read this, the one thing we should see is that God is very patient and longsuffering when it comes to man and his sin.  God is patient wanting you and me to repent and return to him.  You and I desire that patience for us.  We want God to look with love upon us.  We want God to look and to see that, even though we are weak and falter often, we still seek his mercy.  We still desire that his grace be poured out upon us.  We still want him to be the loving God who forgives sins and cleanses us from unrighteousness.

   We want God to be this same loving God to those whom we love.  We want God to heal our loved ones and to bring them back into his holy family.  We want them to turn from the sinfulness that is causing them pain and is causing us pain as well.  Surely the God of mercy will spare them one more time; surely the God of mercy will forgive them one more time.  We pray for this to happen.  We do not our loved ones to be lost or in pain so we pray for God’s mercy.  But are we as diligent when it comes to people we don’t like or have hurt us?  Are we willing to pray for their healing as well?

   One well used comment is that “it is not my place to judge someone that is God’s job ad he will judge them accordingly.”  While this is true, does it desire for the one whom we want to be judged to be forgiven?  Do we pray that they will turn from their sin or do we hope they stay in their sin and suffer for it?  Do we wish that God would put an end to those people whose sin we deem as horrific?  Do we want God to destroy rather than redeem?  It seems at times that we do.

    We need to remember that our sin is just as bad as the other guy’s sin.  We need to remember that the patience and longsuffering that God shows to others is needed by us as well.  We need to see that all humans are in the same boat and suffering from the same condition- we are all sinners in need of a Savior.  Jesus died for all people.  We should pray for all people and show all people the same grace that God shows us.  It is through his mercy alone that we have hope.

Father of all mercy; lead me to care for all people.  Lead me to pray for all the hurting and the lost.  Guide me by your Spirit to be patient as you are patient.  Give me the heart to love all of your creation.  Lead me to love as you love.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret