Hi Everyone! Hope you are all well!
The devotional reading for today is Jeremiah 17 and the study thoughts are based on 1 Samuel 19:9-10 and Romans 13:1-7.
1
Samuel 19:9-10 tells of Saul's misuse of power towards David. Saul makes a failed attempt to pin David with a spear
in an act of anger yet David escapes. While
David was wronged, he never lashed out at Saul, retaliated, or sinned
against the Lord. In Saul's eyes, David may have
been weaker and therefore an easy target to take advantage of but Romans
13:1-7 makes it clear, David had a heart for Christ and therefore
resisted temptation to right the wrong of Saul in a sinful manner. "Two
wrongs don't make a right" is a cliché phrase and the Bible speaks to a tangential point in Matthew 7:3 “Why
do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no
attention to the plank in your own eye?". However, Ephesians 5:1-14,
particularly Verse 11, "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of
darkness, but rather expose them" makes it clear that when we face a
situation in which sin is prevalent, we must make a choice. Exposing
darkness in an honorable manner is what we are called to do but the
Bible tells us that the Lord our God knows our hearts and is the
ultimate judge. He rules over us and is the One we serve. David
was sinless in the eyes of God because his heart was pure and he
exemplified leadership in how he handled the situation. Saul's heart
was not right in the Lord and he did not obey God, therefore his actions
left him open to God's judgement. This is the difference between a
well respected and respectable leader compared to a poor ruler such as
Saul. Our heart and attitude towards authority matters. While we may
have authority or be under authority figures in a man-made hierarchy, such as an office of employment,
the Lord has overall dominance over each of us. Those who resist Him,
resist God. 'God disciplines those He loves' does not mean we serve a
self-righteous or unloving God who seeks to punish us, rather He tells
us that when we allow sin to rule in our lives instead of Him, we shall
ultimately face the consequences of a life that draws us away from Him instead of
closer.
God
tells us of His expectations, to keep ourselves disciplined but the
warning against legalism is clear. The state of our hearts matters!!
God knows who we are regardless of our actions (positive or negative) and reward or judgement shall follow!
I'm
learning more each day to grow in helpfulness, kindness, compassion,
empathy, and a loving attitude that I strive to approach the tasks to which God calls me.
I'm also learning to grow in discipline, confidence in challenging situations, faithfulness, and leadership. Honoring those who dishonor me because this is what I am called to do by
God, is not something to be taken lightly, neither is exposing darkness
in a manner pleasing to God without sinning myself. Before people, God
is my authority, and the One I serve. I pray that as I grow in my
faith so too will be the diligence and heart in which I serve
Him. I strive to respect the Lord's commands and His will because it is
far greater and more powerful than my own. This is a challenge yet so worth it! Today's devotional really applies to preparing for Missions and serving God's call in many areas of my life!
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