Study from God’s Word… Ezekiel 25: 1 – 17; 29: 1 – 16; 30: 1 – 26; and chapter 31: 1 - 18 … Passage for Reflection: Ezekiel 25: 15 – 17 … NIV 15 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. 17 I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them.' "
My Journal for Today: Today’s Bible reading and Dr. Smith’s devotional entry focuses on the nature of vengeance; and we note man’s tendency to want “justice” when he feels hurt or wronged in some way. Of course, the reality is that most of the time we humans are really out for revenge rather than God’s justice.
Dr. Smith rightly attributes the desire for vengeance in our hearts to the degree of maturity of our faith. If we, born-again Christians, are deeply steeped in God’s truth (i.e., the Bible) then we know that vengeance is God’s business, not ours. And so, to the degree we have a deep and abiding relationship with God, in Christ, we’ll leave the business of vengeance to our God; because only HE can see all of the truth and all of the circumstances; and only HE knows exactly what should be done in any circumstance to “make it right.”
But somehow, deep in our humanity, vengeance is our reaction to being wronged, isn’t it? Admit it, you’re probably like me when you go to a movie and you see Wyatt Earp, the protagonist hero, make it right with Doc Holliday and his brothers, gunning down the antagonists, the Clanton gang at the O.K. Corral. It just feels good; doesn’t it? And that’s our measurement of immaturity in our relationship with Christ, … that our faith is not developed enough to let go and let God.
Dr. Smith challenges his readers today, writing, ”If I have somehow managed not to throttle people who deserve throttling, can I move to the next step of not even WANTING to throttle them?” And I must admit that I’m not quite mature enough to follow the call Jesus had for those of us who follow Him (see Matt. 5: 39, and Luke 6: 29). Wow! Jesus’ charge of discipleship in Luke 9: 23 can be a real stitch at times, can’t it?
My friends, I’m afraid I’m not there yet; but God’s conviction has me praying that I will be one day.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to leave the vengeance business of life in Your hands. You know what’s best. I don’t !! Amen
Showing posts with label vengeance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vengeance. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sunday, May 03, 2009
2009 – Day 122.May 03 – Revenge or Forgiveness
2009 – Day 122.May 03 – Revenge or Forgiveness
Blogger’s Note: Well, I’m excited! A God-thing has just happened for me. You may have read and noted my “Blogger’s Note” from this morning’s devotional entry. I had forgotten to bring my Chuck Swindoll book, Great Days with the Great Lives. So, I had decided to go to the online devotional from The Daily Bread while we were in East TN on vacation for my morning quiet times. Well, I did have a very poignant time with God earlier this morning using The Daily Bread; and after Elly and I had had our quiet times with God in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains. Well, Elly noted that I was a bit bummed out, not having my devotional book; and said that she thought she had seen a bookstore as we turned last night to come to our condo. So, we went out to see if we could find that store. >>> Finding the store, we found out it was open; and we went in to find the “Religion” section. And low and behold, they had ONLY ONE COPY of “my” devotional book. And so, having purchased that book, I get to do two devotionals for this day, which actually seems very appropriate since we were missing our corporate worship time in church . >>> Therefore, below you’ll find my extended time to go deep into God’s word and have more personal worship time. And now, as I sit here listening to a wonderful Moody FM station, playing worship music here for this area, I’m back with you and Chuck Swindoll to get closer to our God.
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 8: 24: 8 - 22 … Linked to 1st Samuel 24 for your study …
My Journal for Today: If you read my devotional yesterday, you’ll note that David had a clear conscience in his retreat from Saul’s pursuit, turning over any vengeance to God, and “turning his cheek” to the king who was pursuing him in anger and jealousy. And we saw how this Messiah-like attitude allowed David to rise above his own temptation to be bitter toward Saul.
Today, emphasizing and studying from much the same text in 1st Samuel 24, Swindoll points out that there are three points we need to remember if we are tempted toward anger, bitterness, and/or revenge when someone has wronged us or is trying to make our life miserable. These three points are …
1. First, “… since man is depraved, expect to be mistreated.” Do we really think that we’re going to live our lives out and have all those who are in our circle of influence to be act like Christ toward us, always treating us as we would treat them? Since that simply “ain’t gonna to happen,” we need to be ready if someone acts out their anger or jealousy toward us.
2. Second, Swindoll points out, “… since mistreatment is inevitable, anticipate feelings of revenge.” God’s truth (from Jeremiah 17: 9) says that our hearts are wicked and deceitful beyond measure. So, we’ve got to know that our human reaction to mistreatment will be feelings of revenge; and that’s the lie Satan would try to get us to believe and follow. And since we know this will be our nature, we must be ready to surrender to God and be super-natural in our response.
3. Finally, my devotional author says, “ … since the desire for revenge is predictable, [we must] refuge to fight in the flesh.” That was what we learn from David’s example from today’s text. He simply refused to relent to his own flesh and the desire to get back at Saul. And that must be our “M.O.” as well.
We’ve simply must be ready (note I didn’t say “easily”) to rise above the flesh when (not “IF”) anyone in our life comes after us in some way, predictably causing us to desire revenge. We must do what Paul warned us to do … and that is to resist the Devil so that he will flee from us. So, when we’re attacked, we’ve first got to ready to go into SURRENDER MODE rather than react by going into attack mode. Because as long as we’re surrendered to God’s Spirit, allowing His grace to cover us, we’ll be able to treat others exactly like Jesus commanded us … just like we would desire that they treat us.
My Prayer for Today: Holy God, help me to live by the Golden Rule rather than the rule of the flesh. Amen
Blogger’s Note: Well, I’m excited! A God-thing has just happened for me. You may have read and noted my “Blogger’s Note” from this morning’s devotional entry. I had forgotten to bring my Chuck Swindoll book, Great Days with the Great Lives. So, I had decided to go to the online devotional from The Daily Bread while we were in East TN on vacation for my morning quiet times. Well, I did have a very poignant time with God earlier this morning using The Daily Bread; and after Elly and I had had our quiet times with God in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains. Well, Elly noted that I was a bit bummed out, not having my devotional book; and said that she thought she had seen a bookstore as we turned last night to come to our condo. So, we went out to see if we could find that store. >>> Finding the store, we found out it was open; and we went in to find the “Religion” section. And low and behold, they had ONLY ONE COPY of “my” devotional book. And so, having purchased that book, I get to do two devotionals for this day, which actually seems very appropriate since we were missing our corporate worship time in church . >>> Therefore, below you’ll find my extended time to go deep into God’s word and have more personal worship time. And now, as I sit here listening to a wonderful Moody FM station, playing worship music here for this area, I’m back with you and Chuck Swindoll to get closer to our God.
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 8: 24: 8 - 22 … Linked to 1st Samuel 24 for your study …
My Journal for Today: If you read my devotional yesterday, you’ll note that David had a clear conscience in his retreat from Saul’s pursuit, turning over any vengeance to God, and “turning his cheek” to the king who was pursuing him in anger and jealousy. And we saw how this Messiah-like attitude allowed David to rise above his own temptation to be bitter toward Saul.
Today, emphasizing and studying from much the same text in 1st Samuel 24, Swindoll points out that there are three points we need to remember if we are tempted toward anger, bitterness, and/or revenge when someone has wronged us or is trying to make our life miserable. These three points are …
1. First, “… since man is depraved, expect to be mistreated.” Do we really think that we’re going to live our lives out and have all those who are in our circle of influence to be act like Christ toward us, always treating us as we would treat them? Since that simply “ain’t gonna to happen,” we need to be ready if someone acts out their anger or jealousy toward us.
2. Second, Swindoll points out, “… since mistreatment is inevitable, anticipate feelings of revenge.” God’s truth (from Jeremiah 17: 9) says that our hearts are wicked and deceitful beyond measure. So, we’ve got to know that our human reaction to mistreatment will be feelings of revenge; and that’s the lie Satan would try to get us to believe and follow. And since we know this will be our nature, we must be ready to surrender to God and be super-natural in our response.
3. Finally, my devotional author says, “ … since the desire for revenge is predictable, [we must] refuge to fight in the flesh.” That was what we learn from David’s example from today’s text. He simply refused to relent to his own flesh and the desire to get back at Saul. And that must be our “M.O.” as well.
We’ve simply must be ready (note I didn’t say “easily”) to rise above the flesh when (not “IF”) anyone in our life comes after us in some way, predictably causing us to desire revenge. We must do what Paul warned us to do … and that is to resist the Devil so that he will flee from us. So, when we’re attacked, we’ve first got to ready to go into SURRENDER MODE rather than react by going into attack mode. Because as long as we’re surrendered to God’s Spirit, allowing His grace to cover us, we’ll be able to treat others exactly like Jesus commanded us … just like we would desire that they treat us.
My Prayer for Today: Holy God, help me to live by the Golden Rule rather than the rule of the flesh. Amen
Saturday, May 02, 2009
2009 – Day 121.May 02 – A Clear Conscience
2009 – Day 121.May 02 – A Clear Conscience
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 24: 8 - 21 … Linked to 1st Samuel 24 for your study …
My Journal for Today: Yesterday, in exposing the first eight verses of 1st Samuel 24, Chuck Swindoll indicated that David’s attitude and actions in this passage are illustrative of the words David’s son, Solomon, who would write years later in Proverbs 16: 7, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” And this was certainly the case when we see the turnabout in attitude involving Saul after he heard David’s lament and declaration of a clear conscience in today’s text.
However, Swindoll also points out a more logical truth. You may have a Saul in your life, one who’s out to get you. Maybe he’s one who would do anything he could to make life miserable for you. However, if you turned it over to God, telling him much the same thing David did to Saul, that you’ll just let God be the judge, … that person may just go on making life hell for you.
In today’s life picture, David’s righteousness turned Saul’s heart from pursuer to confessor. And David becomes a model of how we should turn our human heart into a witness for God’s righteousness. However, even if Saul had some back and declared that he would still pledge to take David’s life, at least David’s conscience was clear; and David’s witness to God’s way would be a strong one. And that’s the point of this lesson from God’s word.
Do I (or you) harbor ill feelings, grudges, or anger against anyone? Has my (our) anger turned into a root of bitterness, against which the Bible (in Hebrews 12: 14-15 – linked for study) clearly warns can damage our witness as Christians. David’s conscience was clear; and he had the piece of cloth from Saul’s robe to give witness to his honoring God by not taking the life of God’s anointed king and to leave vengeance to God.
I hope we all can pass this little test of our conscience. Personally, at this moment in my life, I know of no one with whom I hold any grudge or ill will; and I pray that attitude remains. I also pray that given a scenario like the one we have studied in the life of David, we would pass God’s test and have a clear conscience.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, if there ever be one tendency to judge the heart of another, may I defer that judgment to you and claim Your peace from a clear conscience. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 24: 8 - 21 … Linked to 1st Samuel 24 for your study …
My Journal for Today: Yesterday, in exposing the first eight verses of 1st Samuel 24, Chuck Swindoll indicated that David’s attitude and actions in this passage are illustrative of the words David’s son, Solomon, who would write years later in Proverbs 16: 7, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” And this was certainly the case when we see the turnabout in attitude involving Saul after he heard David’s lament and declaration of a clear conscience in today’s text.
However, Swindoll also points out a more logical truth. You may have a Saul in your life, one who’s out to get you. Maybe he’s one who would do anything he could to make life miserable for you. However, if you turned it over to God, telling him much the same thing David did to Saul, that you’ll just let God be the judge, … that person may just go on making life hell for you.
In today’s life picture, David’s righteousness turned Saul’s heart from pursuer to confessor. And David becomes a model of how we should turn our human heart into a witness for God’s righteousness. However, even if Saul had some back and declared that he would still pledge to take David’s life, at least David’s conscience was clear; and David’s witness to God’s way would be a strong one. And that’s the point of this lesson from God’s word.
Do I (or you) harbor ill feelings, grudges, or anger against anyone? Has my (our) anger turned into a root of bitterness, against which the Bible (in Hebrews 12: 14-15 – linked for study) clearly warns can damage our witness as Christians. David’s conscience was clear; and he had the piece of cloth from Saul’s robe to give witness to his honoring God by not taking the life of God’s anointed king and to leave vengeance to God.
I hope we all can pass this little test of our conscience. Personally, at this moment in my life, I know of no one with whom I hold any grudge or ill will; and I pray that attitude remains. I also pray that given a scenario like the one we have studied in the life of David, we would pass God’s test and have a clear conscience.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, if there ever be one tendency to judge the heart of another, may I defer that judgment to you and claim Your peace from a clear conscience. Amen
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