IT’S STILL IN THERE!
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” Genesis 19:1-2
If Lot were your nephew, or son, or husband, would you have long given up on him? He had made a series of foolish decisions while in relationship with you. The last one took him to Sodom to flirt with a culture that was hostile to your God. As a family member, wouldn’t you be grieving for his spiritual condition? Yet, two men arrive, danger is imminent, and Lot’s courage and faith spring into action.
He is not dead to faith. His sojourn into spiritually dangerous territory has not killed every righteous seed God had planted in his heart.
The calendar months move slowly when I’m waiting for the spiritual return of one I love. I envision the bleeding effects of their environment on their love for Christ. How could fidelity not waste away by the day? How will any vestige of faith be preserved for the day God comes calling?
Seeds of faith are preserved when loved ones pray for the one who strays. All is not dead in his heart. Though the culture of lawlessness has surely influenced him and, by all appearances, he seems to have completely caved to its pressures, we underestimate the strength of a God who stirs the embers of faith in places no one sees. He even does spiritual surgery in the subconscious while someone sleeps to keep words and memories alive.
Over whom are you crying today? Over whom are you tempted to stop praying? Don’t do it! Weep, certainly, but not without hope. If any of us sow our prayers in heartfelt tears, we will reap a harvest with joy. God would tell many, and perhaps you are one of the many, that the faith you long to see evidence of ~ is still in there.
Even in Sodom, you can keep the embers of faith alive. I remember that and fight on my knees for their return. Amen.
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
Originally published Tuesday, 23 July 2024.
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