God's Amazing Patience

    There are countless songs about God’s amazing grace, as well there should be for His grace is truly amazing.  I have to say that God’s patience with children is equally amazing.  Maybe it takes that holy patience before we find our way to His amazing grace.  As one who probably tests His patience regularly I am grateful for the loving patience He shows toward me.

   There is an example of His patience in scripture that blows my mind and I ask myself, “am I ever that stupid?”  Notice that I ask myself rather than God or someone else.  I don’t really want an answer.  Maybe that is a bit harsh.  Maybe I should say “am I ever that clueless?”  That sounds a little better a little less judgmental. 

   Here is the background.  In Genesis chapter 19 some bad things are about to happen.  Some angels, sent by God visited Abraham’s nephew whose name was Lot who lived in Sodom.  They asked him if he had any relatives in the city.  They warned him that if he did he had better get them out now.  This is what the angels told Lot:

Verse 13: “For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 

  It was a pretty clear message. I think I would have been heading for the door.   From this message we learn a couple things.  One, that God’s patience does have a limit, and two, going past that limit is not a good thing. 

   I am very curious about that “outcry” thing.  I know that God sees all and knows all.  He is aware of every tear we shed, and I know that when Cain (Adam’s son) slew Able (Adam’s other son) God said to Cain, “What have you done?  The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”

  When you consider all the sad desperate mournful cries that go to God’s ears no wonder He desires to hear our expressions of praise. No wonder it is dear and refreshing to Him.  I don’t know if angels were taking messages to God from Sodom or if it was the prayers of someone.  God told Abraham that he would spare the city if there were ten righteous people living there.  Evidently there were not.  So I’m not so sure about anyone praying about the evilness that was taking over.

   This outcry regarding the evilness is a mystery to me that causes me to ponder.  I don’t know how the outcry got to God, maybe nature itself speaks to God, but I know God heard the outcry and I know that God acted because of it.  I wonder if there is always an outcry that accompanies evil.  If God’s patience with those people lasted until there were not ten righteous people left that is amazing patience.

   We see His patience again in verse 16.  It says that the angels, knowing what was coming, knowing what their assignment was, physically grabbed Lot and his wife and daughters and brought them out of the city. They told Lot, “Escape for your life!  Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain.  Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”

  Now, here comes my idea of stupidity or cluelessness.  Lot says, “Please, no, my lords!  I know that I have found favor in your sight, (let me ask a little more favor) and I know that you have shown mercy and have saved my life here,(let me beg a little more mercy) but I can’t go to the mountains, because some evil may overtake me and I might die. Let me stay in this small little town here on the plains.” (I’d rather take my chances among the fire and brimstone) Words in parenthesis and sarcasm are mine not scripture.  If an angel told me destruction was coming go to the mountain I don’t think I would be bargaining with him for more mercy, grace and patience with me. I would be finding that mountain.

  Well, more favor was shown to Lot and he was granted permission to go to the small town of Zoar and that small town was spared.

  I was amazed at Lot’s words regarding the mountains.  The angels designated it as a safe place.  Lot explains “some evil may overtake me and I might die.”  Hmmm, he was living in a place where evil was taking over, that’s why it would soon be raining brimstone.  I don’t think Lot knew what evil looked like. Maybe it was a case of political correctness slowly going to seed.  It begs the question, are we losing our ability to recognize evil?

  I wish I could ask Lot, what “evil” lurked in the mountain that was a worse evil than the evil he had been living amongst? 

   There is a chapter two to this story.  In verse 30 scripture goes on to say: Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar.  And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.

   It is not a good thing when we lose the ability to know when a thing is evil and will bring destruction.  If you want to know what is evil search out what God says is evil.  If the government says something is legal but God says it is evil we are in trouble.  God is amazingly patient but…….I don’t want to be around when it runs out.