Caffeinated Crunchy Christian Moms

Read: Genesis 16-19

Before I dive into what I want to focus on today, I want to point out one detail that may not sit well with you. In chapter nineteen, we see that Lot’s daughters slept with him in order to continue their family line. They had just fled Sodom, a place where sexual sin and broken family structures were normal, and incest was not out of the ordinary. In their fear and desperation, they chose incest to preserve their lineage. From that sin came the Moabites and the Ammonites. These were two nations that, despite their origins, were shown much grace. God desired repentance for them and gave them opportunities to turn to Him.

This is an important reminder that God is not surprised by human sin. He sees it clearly, and yet He still extends mercy and calls people to repentance. We are all sinners. We deserve hell and eternal damnation. The fact that we are offered heaven at all, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, is incredible. What are we asked to do? Have faith and repent of our sins. In the grand scheme of eternity, that is not much at all. Of course, living faithfully in a sinful world isn’t easy, but Jesus already paid the price for us.

“… ‘You are the God who sees me.’ …” –Genesis 16:13

God hears us and sees us. He knows what we need before we even know it ourselves. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives, and He answers prayers and gives hope to those who follow Him. Throughout Scripture, we see faithful servants of the Lord acknowledge that God can do anything, but even if He doesn’t, He is still good.

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” -Daniel 3:17-18

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” -2 Corinthians 4:16-17

How amazing is our God, who knows every detail of how He created us? One interesting detail in chapter 17 that often gets overlooked, especially relevant in the crunchy community, is the timeline of circumcision. In chapter 17, God commands that every male be circumcised, and verse 12 specifies that this must happen on the eighth day after birth. This detail matters! Vitamin K levels in infants peak on the eighth day, and vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and preventing excessive bleeding. In today’s modern world, in order to have a newborn circumcised, they must be given the vitamin K shot or you must wait until they are 8 days old. Wow! God knew this long before modern science ever caught up.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” – Genesis 18:14

In chapter 18, Abraham pleads with God to spare Sodom if even a small number of righteous people can be found there. God agrees that He would not destroy the city for the sake of just ten righteous people. Lot is found to be right with the Lord, and because of that, he and his family are given the opportunity to escape. What we see in Genesis 18:22–33 feels very similar to why the Lord has not yet returned. Even if only a few righteous remain, there is still hope. God is patient. He delays judgment because He desires repentance.

“… the Lord was merciful to them.” –Genesis 19:16

Discussion Questions

1. Hagar says, “You are the God who sees me.” In what ways have you experienced God seeing you in seasons where you felt overlooked, overwhelmed, or forgotten—especially in motherhood?
2. The phrase “even if He doesn’t” appears throughout Scripture. What does it look like in your life to trust God’s goodness even when prayers aren’t answered the way you hoped?

A Note from the Author