Today's promise: God is merciful to us
Does God hear our prayers for mercy on behalf of
others?
Abraham approached him and said, "Will you destroy both innocent and guilty
alike? Suppose you find fifty innocent people there within the city — will you
still destroy it, and not spare it for their sake? Surely you wouldn't do such
a thing, destroying the innocent with the guilty. Why, you would be treating the
innocent and the guilty exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that! Should
not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?" [The Lord responds that he
will not destroy the city. Abraham persists, reducing the number to 45, then 40,
30, 20 and finally ten]. And the Lord said, "Then, for the sake of the ten, I
will not destroy it."
Genesis 18:23-31 NLT
Abraham's prayer for mercy
In the days before their fiery judgment, the
citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah probably had no idea that their neighbor Abraham
was agonizing with God over their fate. Abraham saw the need for justice, but he
also begged God to show them his mercy. He asked God to spare the city for just
a handful of righteous people, and God agreed. In addition, God sent his angels
to protect Lot's innocent family and get them out of harm's way. But as Sodom
and Gomorrah's destruction illustrates, there's a limit to his mercy, for the
God of justice will not let sin go unpunished forever.
Just as he listened to righteous Abraham long ago, God will listen to your cries for justice and your pleas for mercy. In the end, God will do what is right.
Just as he listened to righteous Abraham long ago, God will listen to your cries for justice and your pleas for mercy. In the end, God will do what is right.
From The
One Year Book of Bible Prayers (Tyndale House), entry for March
25.
Content is derived from the Holy
Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing
House
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