Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy
an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’
and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear
conscience and clean hands.” Genesis
20:4-5
Beyond the marvels of choosing to lie to protect
the beauty of one’s one hundred-year-old wife, this odd little tale reminds me
that I certainly don’t know the rest of the story. I get so focused in on my particularly strand
of DNA twisting in time, that over and over again I forget to view life through
the God So Loved the World glasses. And the world is very big and He has left
the ninety and nine in the fold to chase sheep. And to speak in dreams to
heathens that certainly are more righteous than I.
And speaking of the righteous, may I be counted
among the “even ten LORD?” whose presence would have been salt enough to
preserve Sodom. And while lingering and lying seem to part and parcel of how
the Ones Who Should Know Better stumble through life, let me learn from their
mistakes.
And remind me that just as acts of kindness can
ripple outward, so can ripples of disobedience wreck havoc upon the innocent. James
reminds us that words are a flame that can set a forest on fire. Or I can sow seeds of love that take root
and bring forth life.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable
in Your sight, O LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
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