Love Them Anyway

Scripture:

Matthew 10:32-38 (NIV)

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
    a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Devotional:

This can be a troubling verse to accept.  Sometimes we might even be a little confused.  Christ is has not set out to make enemies of our family members.  However, we are to make Him our priority.  God comes before anyone else.  That includes spouses, parents, and even our children.  God does not want to be second best, or in second position.  For our non believing family members that can be hard to accept and understand. 

How do we deal with these issues?  They are not easy, they hit “too close to home.”  As a matter of fact it can be like a missile strike that has been aimed at our front door.  The missile unfortunately all too often hits the target dead on.  Satan wants nothing more than separating us from God.  He e will use anything he can to achieve his goal.  So how do we overcome?  Matthew 4:44 (NIV) states the following, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”   Christ is love and through Him we are to love.  It is by showing love regardless of how they treat us or what they say that we can overcome.  It is not always easy, in fact it rarely is.  Just remember that Christ paid the ultimate price.  He suffered greatly out of love.  Let Him be your example.  Through the Holy Spirit we can overcome and we can love.

Useful Tools, or Junk Piled High

Scripture:

2 Timothy 2:19-26 (NASB)

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Devotional:

The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.” Wise words to live by and it is not just for scouts but for all of us.  In fact 2Timothy tells us that we need to be prepared.  It is in being prepared that we become useful instruments for God’s work.  You never know how or when God will use you.  But if you are not ready, willing, and waiting upon Him you will remain on the “shelf” waiting to be used.

How prepared are you?  What is the condition of your heart?  Are you built upon the solid corner stone of Christ?   2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV):

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Seek God and purge your heart from evil or worldly pursuits.  Leave the wickedness of your heart.  Be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Through Him we are cleansed and able.  Upon our own strength we cannot succeed.  “Be Prepared” is an excellent motto to live by.  In being prepared we are made useful.  We become instruments for created for special purposes. 

However, if we do not cleanse our hearts and pursue God and pursue what is evil then we are useless.  We are equivalent to the rusty tools in the floor of the workshop forgotten and useless.  Which do you want to be?  Which are you?  Pray continuously and read the Bible.  Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart.  You will be shaped into a useful tool used by the creator…

Trustworthy And True

Scripture:

Hebrews 6:13-15 (NASB)

For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.

Devotional:

These three short verses bring two thoughts to mind.  One is the absolute being of God.  After all God is and there is no one greater or mightier than He is.  We will often say that we swear by something greater than we are.  Yet for God there is nothing greater.  Pondering that thought I think how wonderful it is to have a personal relationship with Him.  No one greater stands before us.  No one greater can ever oppose us.  God is absolute and He is the Almighty.  There is comfort in knowing that God is at the top and our relationship with Him is a personal one.

The other thought that comes to mind is patiently waiting for God to fulfill His promises.  He is faithful and true.  He will make good on His word.  Are we patient enough to wait?  Abraham and Sarah thought they needed to take matters into their own hands, Ishmael was born.  In my life I find that when I wait up on the Lord everything turns out much better.  When I become inpatient and try it my own way, I foul it up. 

There is no one or thing greater than God.  He is true and trustworthy.  He will keep His promises.  Being patient is a virtue that will pay off in much greater rewards.  Being patient is not always easy.  In fact I find it rarely is easy.  But knowing God is trustworthy and He does keep His promises just might help to be a little more patient.  Trust in Him you will not be disappointed…

Now We Can See

Now We Can See

Scripture:
John 9:13-25 (NASB)

They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”

The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.” ²⁵ He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

Devotional:

How often are we presented with some truth only to deny it?  God’s miracles happen around us all the time but we can’t believe they really happened.  We cannot explain it or it doesn’t make sense to us.  Sometimes acknowledging the truth means we have to acknowledge Christ.  There are those who simply will not do so.  It is far easier to deny than to accept and have to change.  It was simple the man was born blind.  No one disputes that fact. 

The Pharisees did not want to accept the truth.  To do so meant admitting they were wrong and that they had to change.  In their eyes they lost face and power.  In truth they would have gained so much more.  We are all like the blind man.  None of us can see.  When Christ came into our lives our eyes were opened.  We need to quit roaming around as if we were blind.  We need to open our eyes.  We see God’s miracles around us, some seem to be impossible.  That doesn’t mean they did not happen.  The truth is there and does not change because we don’t like it.  The Pharisees didn’t want to accept.  The man’s parents were afraid to share the truth.  The blind man could see.

Which are you?  Do you refuse to accept, or know someone who does?  Are you afraid to share?  Are you afraid of what might happen, or what others might think or say?  We need to be like the blind man, once blind but now we can see.