Genesis 18:27–28: “Then Abraham answered and said, ‘Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?’ So He said, ‘If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.'”

October 3rd, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

What can we as believers learn from the life of Abraham? He was a man who made many mistakes and bad choices: lying, not trusting God, Hagar. But the Scripture calls him “a man of faith” and “God’s friend.” Genesis 18 gives us a powerful example of why this flawed man was called these things. He intervened for the righteous that might possibly live in Sodom and Gomorrah, which the Lord had just revealed to him that He was going to destroy for their sins.

Abraham bargained face-to-face with God because he understood God’s character. Abraham knew, that he knew, that he knew, God would never destroy the righteous along with the wicked. Abraham was “God’s friend” in that he understood who God really was. This is the privilege of an intimate relationship with the heavenly Father. We can also have that intimate relationship and be God’s friend by following Abraham’s example. What did Abraham do? As a fellow pastor pointed out, “God’s friend runs to meet Him. God’s friend bows in humility. God’s friend is gracious in hospitality. God’s friend ministers to his own family. God’s friend prays for the lost.”

“LORD, we desire to be Your friend this day. Cleanse us and walk with us we ask in Jesus name.”