​God’s Mercy

This is a breakout post from our 27-day devotional, Come and Gather: Family Time With God, or what we lovingly refer to as Gather. You'll find this post featured in Part Two: Days 6-10 A Walk Through God’s Word of Gather.

“As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.’

But he lingered.

So, the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, they brought him out and set him outside the city” Genesis 19:15-16

Lot “settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom” (Genesis 13:12) after he had separated from Abraham because of the strife between their herdsmen.

Lot moved gradually from looking at Sodom to living in Sodom and finally becoming loyal to Sodom as he sat in the gate of the city.

The true state of the people of Sodom is revealed by the fact that there could not be found 10 righteous people, Lot’s family included, in all the city (Genesis 18:26-32).

Three of the saddest words in all of Scripture are found in this passage as we read that Lot struggled to decide between destruction and his devotion to the sinful city he lived in (Genesis 19:16a). In spite of what Lot had witnessed the night before when the angels blinded the men of the city and the warning they proclaimed to him, Lot awoke the next morning with an undecided mind as to what he should do with his family. This instance is a great testimony to the power of sin on the life of a person when their focus is not on God and His will for their lives. Furthermore, it is a glaring example of a father who was a spiritual failure to his family. (Note the reaction of his family and his lack of credibility in verse 14).

Despite Lot’s failings, let us not lose site of the mercy of a holy God in verse 16b. God’s desire was to spare the city if Lot could find ten righteous people, but when that became impossible, He still answered the prayer of Abraham (Genesis 18:23). God’s mercy was extended to Lot and he was spared the destruction that fell to the city of Sodom.

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Come and Gather: Family Time with God

Introducing Come and Gather: Family Time with God, or what we lovingly refer to as Gather.

Gather is a lovely, 35-page, daily devotional centered around families enjoying time together with God and each other

This 27-day devotional is divided into 3 parts: ​

Part One: Days 1-5, is written specifically with husbands and wives in mind. In this part of Gather, husbands and wives will explore 5 Signs of a Functional Family.

5 Signs of a Functional Family includes:

1. An Attitude of Service
2. Intimacy Between the Husband and Wife
3. Husbands Who Are Loving Leaders
4. Parents Who Teach and Train
5. Children Who Honor and Obey​

Part Two: Days 6-20, is written with the whole family in mind. It's A Walk Through God’s Word. From Genesis to Revelation we will discuss subjects like God's mercy and protection, being humble, dealing with difficulties, having a teachable spirit, dependence on God, and much more.

Part Three: Days 21-27, is a Men of God Character Study. We'll learn character traits that every Christian should strive to demonstrate in their life straight from characters in God's Word. 

At the end of Gather, you'll find a place for your family to record specific prayer requests. I love being specific with my prayer request and seeing God answer in specific ways. Recording the answers, as well as the requests, is a great way to help your children see God working in your lives

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How have you seen God's mercy in your life?

Come and Gather: Family Time With God published with permission
​Pastor Jeremy Sweatt, Farmington Avenue Baptist Church, West Hartford, Connecticut

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