Visits and Conversations with God

Genesis 18

The last stranger to knock on my door, out in this wilderness, was a young man with a machete strapped to his leg - a really long one!  He came on foot through the woods.  It took me a few moments to open that door as I considered whether I would trust the Lord and be a bit hospitable toward this trespasser (land is posted) or if I should act totally un-Christian-like and answer it with a 20-2.  A little anxious, yet managing to remember to pray that God be with me, I chose the former.  It turned out he had legitimate business.  But, I didn't see him walking around again with a machete after our brief visit, either.

The story today of the Lord's visit to Abraham has me wondering how I would react if the Lord showed up to have a talk with me.  Would I answer the door?  Or would I be trembling in fear?  Would I listen to him?  Would I hear the blessing the Lord is promising?  Would I hear any warnings?

I think that if the blessing were to have child, I am quite sure I would not laugh as Sarah did.  He has already blessed me with children and grandchildren.  And if the Lord gave me a warning that he was about to destroy a place or someone who did not walk in his ways, but sinned grievously, so that the outcry against them was so great, would we respond as Abraham did - interceding for the righteous, interceding for the innocent?  Save them all, begs Abraham, for the sake of the few.

What if the Lord gave you a warning that he is about to bring destruction upon your neighbors, your friends, along with the enemies of God?  If you knew they were in danger of destruction would you not try to save them by interceding for them?  Then let us pray - that the Lord would bless them and keep them, that the Lord would make His face to shine upon them, and be gracious to them, granting them (granting all) His peace.