Monday, December 23, 2019

Abraham the Hospitable Host - Devotion on Genesis 18


Scripture: Genesis 18:5
“Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

The NIV says Abraham “hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground” when he saw these three men passing by. Then, he “hurried into the tent” to ask Sarah to break some bread. Then, he “ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf” for a servant to cook.

Abraham had no idea who the three visitors were, but he went out of his way to serve them. You can just picture him racing around his camp greeting them and making preparations. And he calls himself their servant.

It makes me wonder, what is our attitude toward people? Do we see them as annoyances (Oh, great! Three guys showed up at my door, so now I have to try to be polite) or as opportunities to practice humility and servanthood like Abraham did?

The question for me is why Abraham was so hospitable to these men. We know from reading the story that the “men” were God and two angels, but Abraham apparently did not realize this at first. Also, they weren’t traveling with a caravan, so I don’t imagine he thought he would get much of a reward for his trouble.

Maybe he treated them so well because he thought they were exactly what he was: men made in the image of God.

That’s the only reason we need to go out of our way to serve another human being. When we serve them, we’re honoring the image of God within them. We’re honoring their Creator by honoring them.

How can you be more of a servant to someone today?

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Find your next reading on my Devotions page!





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