Read: Genesis 18:1-10
Devotion:
After a long journey to the space Abraham and Sarah now called home Abraham was sitting outside his tent on a hot day. As he looked up, he saw three strangers approaching from a distance. Abraham left from his seat and ran to greet them. He encouraged them to rest. He offered them cool water for his feet and food to eat. He sent Sarah to bake bread with only the best flour. He made sure the meal was special. When the food arrived Abraham served the strangers himself.
As they continued talking, Abraham realized that these were no ordinary visitors. These visitors brought a message from God: “Sarah is going to have a baby.”
Sarah laughed when she overheard them. She was much too old to have a baby, but just as promised, a year lady Sarah had a baby – even in her old age.
We never know how God might use our kindness. Welcoming others, even in small ways, is something important to God. Abraham had no idea who these three visitors really were, but he chose to treat them with dignity and respect. And through that ordinary act of hospitality, God created space for something truly amazing.
Wonder: Why do you think Abraham jumped out to care for the visitors so quickly?
Can you think of a time when someone showed you hospitality? How did it make you feel?
How might you be able to show hospitality to others?
Pray: God of the great messages, Encourage us to treat those around us as we would you. Build in us a sense to know how to care for those around us. Amen
Act: As a daily plan a small act of kindness for someone – take cookies to a friend, invite someone to dinner, take a trash can in for a neighbor. Talk about how small acts of kindness can help make someone’s day bright.