Invitation into the Mess
Invitation into the Mess
Genesis 18:20-21 NLT
So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”
This podcast is a repost, originally published on October 3, 2017.
Series: Prayer Bargain
God reveals His plans only to those who are willing to be trustworthy and faithful with the entrusted task.
One of the reasons God may not share His plans and desires is that He cannot trust the believer. One tends to push his/her agendas ahead of His glory.
In the verse, we see God saying He is going to Sodom and Gomorrah to check if their deeds are as wicked as it was heard to be.
God already knows the condition of the city because He is omnipresent and omniscient. However it is seen that when the people go astray, God Himself comes down to confront them, like in the case of Adam in Eden, and in the building of the Tower of Babel.
His presence was to give them a chance. The purpose of a revival- the visitation of God- is not necessarily to punish, but to draw their hearts to Him, like in the city of Nineveh.
He sends His presence to prepare the Christian for the upcoming season. It was the encounter with the presence of God that kept the Israelites forty years in the desert. Apart from His presence they could not have survived.
There is no one present in the land to seek after God and pray for them. So, God reveals His plans to Abraham.
If a Christian has been entrusted with interceding for a particular person or place, they must faithfully bring it in prayer for a visitation from God.
God is the only hope for a vile condition. Therefore His presence must be sought after and faithfully prayed for.
Psalm 147:2–3 reveals God's heart as a Restorer rather than a Punisher. Although Israel went into exile because of its own rebellion, God did not abandon His people. Instead, He promised to restore Jerusalem, bring the exiles home, heal the brokenhearted, and bind up their wounds.
The message reminds us that while God may use friends, pastors, counselors, or loved ones to help us, true healing and restoration ultimately come from the Lord. His restoration reaches every part of our lives—our hearts, relationships, health, finances, emotions, and spiritual walk.
God knows every wound, including those hidden from others. Unlike people, who can only comfort from the outside, He sees the deepest parts of our hearts and heals completely. His healing is so complete that even the scars of past pain lose their power to define us.
The devotion encourages believers to fix their eyes on God instead of relying solely on human help. No matter how far someone has drifted, how many mistakes they have made, or how broken they feel, God is still calling them back. His desire is to restore, heal, and make all things beautiful in His perfect timing.
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