Anglican Devotional 17 July 2024: Saved By Grace

The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 17 July 2024 – Saved By Grace

TOPIC: Saved By Grace

READ: Genesis 19: 1-29 (NKJV)

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw [them,] he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.
And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”
But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.
And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them [carnally.”]
So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him,
and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!
“See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay [here,] and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.
But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.
And they struck the men who [were] at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary [trying] to find the door.
Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city — take [them] out of this place!
“For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”
So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.”
And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords!
“Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.
“See now, this city [is] near [enough] to flee to, and it [is] a little one; please let me escape there ([is] it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.
“Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens.
So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.
Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

THE MESSAGE:

Lot played host to two divine messengers who were sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and these messengers delivered him from the Sodomites who attacked him. As Lot could not convince his sons-in-law to run away from Sodom with him, he left with his wife and two daughters in the morning. On a warning to escape and not look behind, Lot and his family ran to Zoar. Lot’s wife did not arrive at Zoar but died along the way because she looked back in disobedience to the angelic warning. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was saved because of the grace of God on Abraham.

Being hospitable to people has great rewards but negligence of good counsel brings calamity. Every Christian should practise hospitality (Romans 12: 13). Obedience to divine command results in safety, but disobedience leads to death. Any child of God who is heavenly-minded should endeavour to obey the word of God. Are you a hospitable person? Do you take the grace of God for granted? Lot was saved by grace; you too can be saved by grace if you run away from the danger of sinful life to Jesus Christ for your salvation (Romans 10: 9)

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to You today. Help me to live for You in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY’S DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2024
TOPIC: SAVED BY GRACE

Father in the name of Jesus, thank You for the grace to see this day in good health and sound mind.
Father, thank You for the special gift of life, many wished to see this day, but they couldn’t.
Thank You Jesus for being there for us, Your children.
Thank You Lord for Your plans for me this year. They are plans of good, not of evil, to give me a successful and good end.
Father, please forgive me all my known and unknown sins, and give me power to overcome sin and its lustful desires, in Jesus’ name
I will not die by the way side for the devil to mock me, in Jesus’ name.
Father, thank You for saving me by grace, please, keep saving more by Your grace, in Jesus’ name
Lord, give me a caring and hospitable heart, in Jesus’ name.
I receive grace to obey divine commands, in Jesus’ name.
Help me, Holy Spirit, to be heavenly-minded and follow God’s ways, in Jesus’ name.
LORD, help us to get it right in Nigeria, and let Your perfect will be enforced on us in Jesus’ name.
Heavenly Father, let Your peace reign in this country,
Whether the devil likes it or not, I will make heaven and receive my eternal rewards in Jesus’ Name.
This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Personal and family prayer requests.
Confession: God bless the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), God bless the Universal Church, and bless our country Nigeria -1 Chronicles 17:27.
Thank You Lord for answered prayers, in Jesus’ Mighty Name we pray. Amen.