Cave people

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Genesis 19:27-38

27 Then Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.

28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, see, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.

29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham’s prayer and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

30 Now Lot had moved from of Zoar and was living in the hills with his two daughters, because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.

31 And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the land to come in to us after the manner of all the land.

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will have sex with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”

33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He was not aware when she lay down or when she arose.

34 The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I had sex last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and have sex with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”

35 So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and had sex with him, and was not aware when she lay down or when she arose.

36 This is how both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father.

37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the ancestor of the Moabites people today.

38 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonite people today.

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Cave people

Lot had never shown much caution before, but witnessing the destruction of a city by fire from God can sober even the most impulsive heart. After fleeing Zoar, he looked around at his new surroundings and may have realized that life there was not much different from the corruption he had escaped. Fear, grief, and disillusionment drove him to withdraw. He took his daughters and retreated into a cave in the wilderness, believing isolation was the safest way to protect what remained of his family. His solution to danger was escape—again. He tried to guard his household by removing them from every other household.

But he could not protect them from the desires within their own hearts. His daughters feared extinction—of themselves, of their father’s line, and of the family name. In the ancient Near East, childlessness carried deep shame. Sarah had used a handmaid to secure offspring, but Lot’s daughters chose a darker path. They conspired to intoxicate their father and commit incest, convincing themselves that they were preserving his legacy. Their reasoning shows how desperation distorts judgment: they believed they were acting for his sake, even as they violated him.

Scripture records this event without approval. It is descriptive, not prescriptive. Moses’ audience would immediately recognize the significance: this is the origin story of two neighboring peoples—the Moabites and the Ammonites—groups who were both relatives and frequent adversaries of Israel. The narrative explains their beginnings in a way that highlights human brokenness and divine sovereignty. God can weave His purposes even through tragic and sinful choices, but the choices remain tragic and sinful.

There is also a lesson here about witness. Fear can make believers withdraw from the very people they are meant to reach. Lot’s retreat into a cave illustrates the danger of isolating oneself from community. Humans were not designed for solitary survival. God calls His people to be salt and light, not cave dwellers. Running away from a corrupt world does not redeem it. Disciples cannot be made in a vacuum. The instinct to hide may feel safe, but it forfeits the mission.

LORD, grant courage to remain present among the people You intend to reach, and deliver us from the fear that drives us into caves.

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The Sky Kingdom and fruit inspection

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Matthew 7:15-20

15 “Be ready for false prophets, people who will come to you dressed like sheep but inwardly are destructively vicious wolves.

16 You will identify them by the fruits they produce. Are grapes harvested from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

17 So, every healthy tree produces healthy fruit, but the diseased tree produces blighted fruit.

18 A healthy tree cannot produce blighted fruit, nor can a diseased tree produce healthy fruit.

19 Every tree that does not produce healthy fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 Thus you will recognize them by the fruit they produce. _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom and fruit inspection

JJesus had already taught that a spirit of constant criticism has no place in the life of the kingdom. Yet He immediately adds a necessary balance: although disciples are not called to be fault‑finders, they are called to be fruit‑inspectors. Not every teacher or leader who appears sincere is actually trustworthy. False prophets rarely present themselves as obvious threats. They come dressed like sheep—familiar, gentle, persuasive. If they arrived with the marks of wolves, no one would follow them. Their danger lies in their resemblance to the flock.

Because of this, Jesus shifts His imagery. Instead of sheep and wolves, He speaks of trees and fruit. A tree may look healthy from a distance. Its leaves may be full, its branches strong. Yet when the orchard owner walks closer, he sees diseased, blistered fruit hanging from the limbs. The sight troubles him. He removes the corrupted fruit at once, and if the rot continues, he cuts down the tree itself. The problem is not cosmetic; it is rooted deep within.

Jesus prepares His people for the same reality within their communities. False teaching is not always easy to identify. It may sound biblical, appear passionate, or come wrapped in doctrinal precision. But its effects will eventually reveal its true nature. It produces division, pride, and a spirit of superiority. It creates an atmosphere of suspicion and rivalry. It encourages “us versus them,” the posture that says, “our group alone is right.” Whenever a person, movement, or teaching consistently bears that kind of fruit, the blight has already begun.

Healthy teaching produces humility, unity, repentance, and love. Diseased teaching produces arrogance, polarization, and conflict. The fruit never lies. Even when the words sound orthodox, the results expose the heart of the tree.

LORD, grant clear eyes to recognize what false prophets and false teachings produce among the people of God. Grant courage to turn away from voices that divide and distort, no matter how gifted, popular, or doctrinally impressive they may appear. Keep the church rooted in truth, guarded by discernment, and marked by the fruit of the Spirit.

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Taking judgment seriously

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Genesis 19:14-26

14 So Lot went out and warned his bridegrooms, who were going to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his bridegrooms to be joking.

15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, so you are not swept away as the city is punished for its sin.”

16 But he dawdled. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

17 And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your soul. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, so you will not be swept away.”

18 But Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords.

19 See, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my soul. But I cannot escape to the hills, or the disaster will overtake me and I will die.

20 See, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there- is it not a little one?- and my soul will be saved!”

21 He said to him, “See, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city to which you have referred.

22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.[1]

23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of the sky.

25 And he overthrew[2] those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what had grown on the ground there.

26 But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a standing pile of salt.

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Taking judgment seriously

Lot and his family had received extraordinary mercy, yet the atmosphere of Sodom had shaped their instincts more than they realized. Years of living among people who mocked righteousness had dulled their sense of danger. When the angels arrived with a clear and urgent warning, Lot hesitated. He lingered. He bargained. He treated the moment as though there were still time to negotiate. The angels endured his delays only because the LORD had already determined to rescue him. Grace carried him forward even when his own seriousness faltered.

Lot’s wife reveals the same pattern. She had been given the same warning, the same opportunity, and the same path of escape. Yet her heart remained tethered to the life she was leaving behind. Her backward glance was more than curiosity; it was a refusal to accept that judgment was real. She became a casualty of her own unbelief. Lot’s daughters’ fiancés responded similarly. They had watched Lot for years, observed his compromises, and learned to treat his faith as something mild and optional. When he finally spoke with urgency, they assumed he was joking. Their reaction exposes how little weight Lot’s witness carried in their eyes.

This generation stands in a similar place. The signs of coming judgment are not hidden. Scripture speaks plainly about the destiny of a world that resists God. Yet many move through life as though nothing decisive is approaching. The warnings are known, but they are treated casually. Believers speak of hell, but often without the gravity that convinces others it is real. Loved ones hear the words but sense no urgency, because the messengers themselves seem unhurried. The danger is immense, yet the response is often leisurely—gathering possessions, scrolling through entertainment, and assuming there will always be more time.

The tragedy of Sodom is not only the city’s corruption but the reluctance of those who knew better to act decisively. The call of God is not merely to escape judgment but to do so with seriousness, clarity, and compassion for those still in danger. The gospel carries urgency because judgment is real and rescue is possible.

LORD, heal the hesitation that keeps hearts from responding to Your warnings with seriousness. Grant urgency in the appeal of the gospel, so that those who hear may sense its weight and truth, and not mistake Your judgment for anything less than a pressing and solemn reality.

[1] The Hebrew word Tsoar means insignificance.

[2] The Hebrew word Hafal implies destruction, a transformation of the city into a heap of rubble, and its inhabitants and vegetation into a pile of ashes.

Posted in commitment, destruction in hell, judgment, witness | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Sky Kingdom is the hard way

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Matthew 7:12-14

12 “So ask yourself whatever you would rather that others would do for you, and determine to do that for them, because this is what the Law and the Prophets teach.

13 “Enter by the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.

14 But the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

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The Sky Kingdom is the hard way

Evangelism in many earlier eras often operated on the assumption that the best way to bring people into God’s kingdom was to make the entrance as simple, painless, and effortless as possible. The hope seemed to be that if someone could be persuaded to “make a decision for Christ,” then the life of discipleship would naturally unfold afterward. History has shown otherwise. What this approach has produced is a thin, fragile Christianity—one that mirrors the very “easy way” Jesus warned against. The easy way still leads to destruction. It diminishes spiritual vitality in the present, and it ends in ultimate ruin in Gehenna.

The way of the kingdom—the sky‑kingdom way—is demanding. It is messy, inconvenient, and profoundly communal. It requires investment, sacrifice, and perseverance. Scripture calls this communal life church. And church, when practiced faithfully, is difficult. If it feels effortless, something essential is missing. Kingdom living is a narrow gate, a tight passage that presses and reshapes those who enter. It forces attention away from self and toward the needs, burdens, and hopes of others. This is precisely what the Law and the Prophets required: a life of love expressed through costly obedience. Jesus did not abolish those demands; He fulfilled them and carried them forward into the New Covenant.

Jesus also said that few would enter this narrow way. His words were not meant to discourage or excuse. They were meant to clarify reality. The narrow way remains the only path that leads to life. It is the only genuine remedy for the brokenness of the present age and the only hope for a redeemed future. Perhaps the world needs to see the difficulty of following Jesus—not a polished, simplified version, but the real cost, the real struggle, the real beauty. Maybe then the seriousness of the gospel will be understood.

The eternal gospel is weighty. It cost Christ His life, and it will demand much from those who follow Him. Yet this hard way is the way of life, the way of joy, the way of the kingdom.

LORD, forgive the impulse to soften what You have made strong. The way to life is costly. It led Christ to the cross, and it calls for deep sacrifice from His people. Grant wisdom to walk this narrow way faithfully, and grant courage to lead others into it with honesty and love.

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Protecting those within

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Genesis 19:1-13

That evening, the two angels came to Sodom, and Lot was living at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth

2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can get up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.”

3 But he urged them persistently; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people from every part of the city, surrounded the house.

5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may get to know them.”

6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shutting the door after him,

7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.

8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”

9 But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came as a traveler, and he has become our judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down.

10 But the men inside reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door.

11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place.

13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.” _________________________________________

Protecting those within

Lot’s years within Abraham’s household had taught him the value of welcoming strangers and providing for their safety. Hospitality was not merely a courtesy in the ancient Near East; it was a moral obligation woven into the fabric of communal life. A traveler was vulnerable, and a host was expected to offer shelter, food, and protection. Lot had absorbed this ethic well. Yet the city in which he chose to settle had abandoned that ideal entirely. Sodom’s men had become so corrupted that their version of “getting to know” a visitor involved violent sexual assault. Scripture highlights this particular sin not because it was their only vice, but because it reveals the depth of their moral collapse. It is the act that later gave rise to the term “sodomy,” marking the city’s legacy of depravity.

Lot understood the danger. He had lived in Sodom long enough to know what its citizens were capable of. When the two visitors arrived, he recognized them as angels and immediately felt the weight of responsibility. Their intention to sleep in the open square alarmed him. He insisted—persistently and without retreat—that they stay under his roof. He knew that refusing them shelter would expose them to the violence of the night.

Yet the narrative raises a troubling question. Lot was determined to protect the angels, but why did he not show the same fierce concern for his daughters? His offer to hand them over to the mob is one of the most disturbing moments in the story. Was he overwhelmed by fear? Had living in Sodom eroded his moral instincts? Did he believe the angels’ safety outweighed every other consideration? The text does not answer these questions directly, and speculation cannot resolve them. What is clear is that the angels themselves rejected his proposal. They did not accept the sacrifice of the daughters, nor did they permit Lot to treat his household as expendable. Instead, they commanded him to gather every person under his care and lead them to safety before judgment fell. Lot was responsible for protecting those within his sphere of influence, and the angels reinforced that duty.

LORD, forgive the neglect that sometimes creeps into our own households. As we flee what you have condemned, grant compassion that reaches beyond ourselves, and courage to bring with us all whom we are able to protect.

Posted in depravity, family, responsibility | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Sky Kingdom and persistence in prayer

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Matthew 7:7-11

7 “Keep asking, and what you ask for will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find what you are looking for; keep knocking, and the closed door will be opened for you.

8 For everyone who keeps asking receives, and the one who keeps seeking finds, and to the one who keeps knocking it will be opened.

9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a rock?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give proper gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in the sky give good things to those who keep asking him! _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom and persistence in prayer

Jesus had already taught that meaningful prayer grows out of a real, living relationship with the Father, not from public performance or empty ritual. He also made clear that unforgiveness poisons the heart and disrupts prayer, because a heart closed toward others cannot remain open toward God. Now he highlights another barrier that keeps prayers from bearing fruit: the tendency to stop praying too soon.

This is not a test of spiritual toughness, as though God sits back to see who can endure the longest. Jesus consistently anchors prayer in the character of the Father—His generosity, His attentiveness, His desire to give good gifts. The real struggle is not overcoming divine reluctance but confronting the inner resistance that keeps us from depending on Him. Persistence in prayer is not about proving strength; it is about learning trust.

Even flawed human parents delight in giving good things to their children. If that is true of us, how much more is it true of the Father whose love is perfect? Jesus urges continual asking because He knows how quickly the human heart drifts toward self‑reliance. A brief prayer is offered, circumstances remain unchanged, and frustration rises. The conclusion comes too quickly: “That didn’t work.” Then the search begins for solutions in personal effort, human wisdom, or sheer willpower. But the deeper issue is not unanswered prayer—it is an unwillingness to remain dependent.

A prayer life without persistence becomes a prayer life without faith. Prayer is not a vending machine for blessings; it is a school of trust where the soul learns to lean on the Father instead of itself. When persistence fades, faith fades with it.

The danger is settling for substitutes—our own versions of rocks and snakes. They are not satisfying, but at least they are ours. Bread and fish require waiting, humility, and the willingness to stay on our knees long enough to receive what only the Father can give. Persistence becomes a posture of surrender, a quiet confession that the Father’s way is better than our way.

So the cry rises: “Lord, we want the fish sandwich.” Strengthen the knees that buckle under impatience. Bend the stubborn will that resists dependence. Teach the heart to remain in prayer, to continue asking, seeking, knocking. Guard against the impulse to run toward self‑made answers or human substitutes. Shape a life that keeps praying until the Father gives what is truly good.

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Challenged to Intercede

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Genesis 18:16-33

16 Then the men stood up, intending to leave there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham walked beside them to send them off.

17 The LORD said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

19 Because I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by practicing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

20 Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,

21 I will go down to verify whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.

23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it because of the fifty righteous who are in it?

25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Will not the Judge of all the land do what is just?”

26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

27 Abraham answered and said, “See now, I have dared to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.

28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.”

30 Then he said, “Oh now, let not the Lord be hot with anger, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

31 He said, “See now, I have dared to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.”

32 Then he said, “Oh now let not the Lord be hot with anger, and I will speak again just this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

33 And the LORD went on, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

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Challenged to Intercede

Abraham’s decision to intercede for Sodom was an act of remarkable courage. He had just learned that the LORD intended to investigate the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah, verifying whether their wickedness was as great as reported. With that knowledge, Abraham stepped forward and prayed. Nothing in the scene suggests that he misunderstood the gravity of the situation. He knew judgment was possible. He knew the cities were corrupt. Yet he also knew the character of God, and that knowledge moved him to speak. In a sense, the LORD placed Abraham in that moment deliberately. The disclosure of divine intent was not merely information; it was an invitation. Abraham was being drawn into the work of intercession.

Prayer often functions this way. It is not only a response to trouble but a summons to participate in God’s concern for the world. When circumstances darken, when danger rises, when disaster seems imminent, believers are given an opportunity to walk beside the LORD for a time and plead for mercy. The outcome may not change. The disaster may not be prevented. Yet the responsibility to intercede remains. Prayer becomes an act of compassion, a recognition that God has allowed us to see what is happening so that we might carry it before Him.

Jesus taught that the present age would be marked by wars, upheavals, and natural disasters. These events can feel routine, almost inevitable, and it is easy to ignore them unless someone close to us is threatened. But Abraham’s example presses a deeper question. What might happen if believers treated these events not as background noise but as calls to action? What if every report of conflict, every storm, every crisis became a moment to seek the LORD’s mercy? Perhaps whole cities would not be spared. Yet compassion does not measure success by scale. Intercession is worthwhile even if only a few are helped, even if only one family is preserved, even if the only change is the quiet work of grace in unseen places.

This posture refuses to remain comfortable while the world suffers. It acknowledges that prayer is sometimes the only contribution available, and that such prayer matters. It is a commitment to stand with God in His concern for humanity, to ask for mercy where judgment seems near, and to believe that the LORD can make a difference.

Posted in Abraham, deliverance, prayer | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Sky Kingdom or criticism

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 7:1-6

“Do not criticize people, so that you will not be criticized by them.

2 For with the criticism you offer you will be criticized, and to the extent that you do it, it will be done to you.

3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is hanging out of your own eye?

4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log hanging out of your own eye?

5 You actor, remove the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or else they will stomp on them and turn to attack you. _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom or criticism

The moment we begin to believe in the sky kingdom and the promise of being born again into it, we start being tempted to turn on those around us. Part of this is simply the fact that we know renewal is possible now, because we are experiencing it. But if we are not careful, we can turn that good thing happening to us into misery for everyone else.

So, Jesus gives some really practical advice here. Do not try to be someone else’s Holy Spirit. The word that he uses connotes the coming to a conclusion as a result of thinking through a situation. It can be a dangerous thing to tell someone else what you think of him. Jesus says that sky kingdom citizens should stay away from that activity, for several reasons:

1. Criticism breeds criticism. As soon as you serve it up, your friend becomes your opponent, and feels obligated to return your serve.

2. Self-criticism, however, is essential for the sky kingdom. We are set free from the penalty of sin by grace, but we still carry around baggage from the old life, and people notice that. If you do not think you have any baggage, try criticizing someone, and that person will be glad to point out your log. It will be better, however, and less embarrassing, if you discover your log yourself.

3. Without self-criticism and self-correction, criticizing others is dishonest. It is acting.

4. Criticizing others (especially nonbelievers) is also wrong because it is ineffective. Those beautiful pearls of wisdom you seek to throw at your neighbors are not going to help them look good. They are pigs, and they are not interested in pearls. They are liable to attack someone who criticizes them, so save yourself the grief.

LORD, get us out of everybody else’s business. May our hatred for sin in us lead us to deeply criticize our own thoughts and actions, leading to repentance and change. But may our love for our neighbors lead us to pray for them and so live before them that they seek answers from you.

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Honor and trust

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Genesis 18:1-15

And the LORD appeared to him near the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.

2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and see, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground

3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not disregard your servant.

4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,

5 while I bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on- since you have visited your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Now! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.”

7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and exceptional, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.

8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood beside them under the tree while they ate.

9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.”

10 The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, by many years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.

12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have this pleasure?”

13 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I really bear a child, now that I am old?’

14 Is anything too tough for the LORD? At the appointed time I will revisit you – about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, you really did laugh.”

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Honor and trust

It was not difficult for Abraham and his household to honor the three mysterious visitors who appeared near the oaks of Mamre. Hospitality was woven into the fabric of their life, and they recognized that this was no ordinary encounter. The presence of the LORD was unmistakable. What proved far more difficult was believing the message the LORD delivered. The promise that Sarah would bear a son within a year collided with everything she knew about herself. She had long accepted that “the way of women” had ceased. She had made peace with age and barrenness. She was content to cradle Ishmael, the child born through Hagar, and had quietly surrendered the hope of ever holding a child of her own flesh.

Sarah’s instinctive laughter at the promise is not foreign to the human heart. Before assigning blame to her, it is necessary to examine the patterns of thought that rise within every soul. The LORD promises a new birth to all who trust Him, a work of renewal that does not depend on youth, strength, or human possibility. Yet the inward reaction often resembles Sarah’s: a quiet, respectful posture on the outside, paired with an inward skepticism that wonders how such transformation could ever occur. Honor toward God is one thing; confidence in His power to create new life within is another.

Sarah described herself as “worn out,” a phrase used for garments that have been stretched thin, frayed, and exhausted by years of use.[1] Many hearts echo that sentiment. The soul can feel threadbare, weary from failure, disappointment, or long seasons of dryness. The promise of new birth is not distasteful; it simply feels unreachable. The mind rehearses limitations, and the heart whispers that renewal is for others, not for one who feels so spiritually tattered.

Yet the LORD does not measure His power by human frailty. He fulfills what He promises. Sarah and Abraham had to move beyond their self-assessment and trust the One who speaks life into what is dead. The same movement is required of all who hear the promise of new birth. Honor toward God must grow into reliance on His ability to accomplish the miraculous work He has planned.

LORD, our belief rests in the promise of new birth You have spoken. Strengthen the places where our unbelief still lingers. Grant us confidence in the astonishing future You intend to bring forth.

[1] Deuteronomy 8:4; 29:4; Joshua 9:4-5,13.

Posted in Abraham, dependence upon God, miracles, new birth, trust | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Sky Kingdom or distractions

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Jefferson Vann
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Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be distracted by your soul, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor by your body, what you will put on. Is not the soul more than what it eats, and the body more than what it wears?

26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither plant nor harvest nor store their food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more to him than them?

27 And which of you by being distracted can add a single moment to his soul’s age?

28 And why are you distracted about what you wear? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither work nor manufacture clothing,

29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not decked out like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the meadow flower, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 Therefore do not be distracted, saying, ‘What will we have to eat?’ or ‘What will we have to drink?’ or ‘What will we have to wear?’

32 For the other nations seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father is aware that you need them all.

33 But you seek first the kingdom from God and desire his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.

34 “So do not be distracted about tomorrow, because tomorrow will be distracted for itself. Each day will have its own trouble to be concerned with. _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom or distractions

While avoiding the endless project of stockpiling possessions, it is equally important to avoid stockpiling anxieties about what tomorrow might bring. A human soul needs nourishment, and a human body needs clothing, but becoming preoccupied with future needs drains energy without producing anything worthwhile. The Father who reigns over the heavens already knows what is required. He feeds creatures that never plant or harvest, and He clothes fields that never spin thread. His care for creation is a daily reminder that His care for human beings—who bear His image—is deeper, wiser, and more intentional. Trust is not naïve; it is the proper response to a Father who has proven His faithfulness.

The real concern of the present moment is not the uncertainty of tomorrow but the calling of today. Citizens of the kingdom that will descend from heaven are meant to live under its values now. Seeking that kingdom first means allowing God’s righteousness to shape decisions, desires, and priorities in the present. When righteousness governs today, tomorrow’s needs fall into their proper place. Food, clothing, and all the other necessities of life are not ignored; they are simply placed under the care of the One who provides them at the right time. The kingdom becomes the focus, and the trivial matters of daily provision become gifts added along the way.

LORD, the impulse to worry about the future is strong, but it is not worthy of the life you have given. Grant the grace to turn away from anxious distraction and to welcome your kingdom into the rhythms of today. Shape thoughts, habits, and desires so that your righteousness fills the present moment, and keep the heart steady in trust as you provide what is needed.

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