Month: January 2025

A  believer’s heart for the lost in a sinful world.

~ OchiengFamily ~ Leave a comment

Studying Genesis 18 and seeing how Abraham, a close friend of God, humbly negotiated with God about people he barely knew was both fascinating and challenging to me as a believer. There are many lessons to glean from this chapter, but today, I am choosing to focus on the life of Abraham’s nephew, Lot.

Initially, observing Abraham’s negotiation with God, I thought it was primarily because of his concern for his nephew. However, as the number of righteous individuals Abraham negotiated for dropped to ten and he stopped, I began to wonder what might have been on his mind. Although God would have granted Abraham’s request had he continued, why did Abraham stop at ten? What thoughts were running through his mind?

While studying, I considered that Abraham might have been disappointed in Lot for not winning souls outside his family, seeing that only Lot and his family were saved in the end. Was Lot simply watching people sin, going about their business without intervening? Or did he try to call for repentance, but no one responded?

Then I came across 2 Peter 2:7-9. Reading this passage allowed me to see things from Lot’s perspective. His heart bled for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Just being among them was already torturous for his soul. I bet he tried several times to preach to these people, not just when he attempted to protect the angelic beings in Genesis 19. Hence, God saved only Lot and his family.

Why does Lot’s story resemble Noah’s story so much? (Just my wandering thoughts.)

I can see why our world and communities today can seem like Lot’s and Noah’s, and why our hearts bleed for lost souls. It is my prayer that we don’t give up praying or grow weary in reaching out to souls within our spheres of influence. Whatever you’re doing to advance the kingdom, keep at it. The Lord knows and has a plan for how He will protect those who are truly His. It is my prayer and desire that we all genuinely change our ungodly ways, turn to our Maker with all sincerity, and not harden our hearts.

Shalom,

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Echoes of Babel: The Heart’s Silent Rebellion

~ OchiengFamily ~ 1 Comment

Throughout history, humanity has continually asserted its independence from God. While our lips may profess one thing, our hearts often reveal another. Consider the story of those who attempted to construct the Tower of Babel. Their actions not only demonstrated their disobedience to God’s command to populate the earth (Genesis 9:11), but also their lack of trust in God’s promise to never again flood the world. How do we know this? The materials chosen for their construction—a waterproof tower—betrayed their true intentions: they sought protection against future calamities.

Reflecting on this, I must admit that I, too, have acted like the people of Babel. There’s no need to ask God to show me when and how; I know it in my heart. My hope and prayer is that we learn to fully surrender and trust in His promises.

Shalom,

Sosasmama

Window of Hope

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In Genesis 6, God recognized righteousness in Noah and his family amidst the wickedness of humanity at the time. God gave Noah specific instructions to build an ark, providing detailed guidance. Noah obeyed God meticulously, without fully understanding the reasons behind his actions. Though it didn’t make sense to the people of Noah’s days, and not entirely to Noah himself, he remained committed to obedience. His primary concern was following God’s will.

In Genesis 8, after the flood, Noah sought to understand the situation. He sent out birds through a small window, using this as a way to gauge the state of the world. He was hopeful and saw the birds’ return as a sign to be optimistic.

Matthew 24:37-39 reminds us that Jesus’ coming will be like the days of Noah, but there’s also a deeper lesson on true faith. Noah found himself isolated from the world in a challenging situation. Despite feeling hopeless, he kept his focus on God and His promises. The small window in the ark represented a glimmer of hope for the future after the flood. This, my friend, exemplifies true faith. When you find yourself feeling cornered, look for your own window of hope.

Shalom

Sosasmama

Be Curious… don’t be afraid to take risks.

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On a very recent cold morning, I thought it would be a good time to take a walk, so I decided to head to a nearby grocery store. It seemed like a good idea to get some needed items while also getting some exercise. As I walked down the familiar road, I remembered a shortcut I had previously discovered with my daughter, so I confidently took a turn I thought was the right one, only to find myself going in a circle. At this point, I had walked quite a few miles and was tired. I thought to myself, “just go home.” But that would have been me quitting, so I decided against that, turned back to the familiar route on the main street, and continued. Because I had missed it initially, I was determined to find this shortcut and get it right this time. On my way back from the store, I took the correct route and quickly realized that when I thought I had missed the shortcut at the start of my walk, I was actually near the exit I was looking for. Without any regret, I laughed at myself and wished I had just been curious enough to look a bit further past the sign to see the walking trail.

The moral of the lesson I learned on this fateful morning, and there are two ways I choose to look at this experience:

1.     Check your attitude when things don’t go your way, whether it is by your doing or not.

2.     Be curious and take risks; don’t be quick to accept things as they appear.

Shalom

Sosasmama