Readings:
Psalm 7
II Corinthians 11:16-33
Focus:
Psalm 7:12-13: "The enemy sharpens his sword again, strings his bow and makes it ready. It is against himself he has prepared his deadly shafts and tipped his arrows with fire."
When others do unkind things, or say unkind things to us, we feel hurt. It is easy to nurse our resentment and dwell on these little incidents. Sometimes we even respond in kind.
But in actuality the wrong things that others do hurt them, not us. Sin has eternal consequences, and if they do not seek God's forgiveness, they may be lost. (This is why we want to tell everyone about what God has done for people.)
So when other people do hurtful things to us, they have actually hurt themselves, not us. Even when the hurtful things that people do have consequences for us, they do not have eternal consequences. When people do wrong things, it is against themselves that they have prepared their deadly shafts.
Showing posts with label consequences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consequences. Show all posts
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Why Go Our Own Futile Way?
Readings:
Psalm 2
II Corinthians 8:16-24
Focus:
Psalm 2:1: "Why are the nations in turmoil? Why do the peoples hatch their futile plots?"
It is an amazing thing that people think that they can run their own lives without God. Some people do this because they think that there is no God, and yet God has made us such that inside us we feel a yearning for him. So at some level we do know that he exists.
Other people think that God is remote from us or doesn't care about how we run our lives. So they go ahead and do things their own way.
Yet God does exist, and he does care how we live. He made us and he knows what is for our good. When we choose to live in a different way, we do so at our peril. Why would we do this? Why do we hatch our futile plots when we have a loving God to show us what is for our good?
Psalm 2
II Corinthians 8:16-24
Focus:
Psalm 2:1: "Why are the nations in turmoil? Why do the peoples hatch their futile plots?"
It is an amazing thing that people think that they can run their own lives without God. Some people do this because they think that there is no God, and yet God has made us such that inside us we feel a yearning for him. So at some level we do know that he exists.
Other people think that God is remote from us or doesn't care about how we run our lives. So they go ahead and do things their own way.
Yet God does exist, and he does care how we live. He made us and he knows what is for our good. When we choose to live in a different way, we do so at our peril. Why would we do this? Why do we hatch our futile plots when we have a loving God to show us what is for our good?
Monday, March 8, 2010
Our Own Way of Thinking
Readings:
II Chronicles 29
Romans 1:18-32
Focus:
Romans 1:28: "Thus, because they have not seen fit to acknowledge God, he has given them up to their own depraved way of thinking, and this leads them to break all rules of conduct."
One objection that people often raise to Christianity is that they feel that it is mean of God to punish people (as they think). Why, they ask, should God be vengeful?
What people often do not consider, however, is that God is really just letting people have the consequences of what they have chosen to do. God created the universe. He created nature. He created us. He created everything to work in a certain way. When we decide to ignore God and do things our own way, things don't always work the way they're supposed to work, because we're not doing things the way they were created to work. It's as if we had a new product and ignored the instructions, and used it in a way that was likely to make it break.
So when we do things our own way, quite often bad consequences happen. It's just the natural result of using ourselves and others in ways that we were not made to be used. It's our fault if things go wrong. God isn't waiting to get us; we "get" ourselves.
It's much better to follow the instructions--the Bible.
II Chronicles 29
Romans 1:18-32
Focus:
Romans 1:28: "Thus, because they have not seen fit to acknowledge God, he has given them up to their own depraved way of thinking, and this leads them to break all rules of conduct."
One objection that people often raise to Christianity is that they feel that it is mean of God to punish people (as they think). Why, they ask, should God be vengeful?
What people often do not consider, however, is that God is really just letting people have the consequences of what they have chosen to do. God created the universe. He created nature. He created us. He created everything to work in a certain way. When we decide to ignore God and do things our own way, things don't always work the way they're supposed to work, because we're not doing things the way they were created to work. It's as if we had a new product and ignored the instructions, and used it in a way that was likely to make it break.
So when we do things our own way, quite often bad consequences happen. It's just the natural result of using ourselves and others in ways that we were not made to be used. It's our fault if things go wrong. God isn't waiting to get us; we "get" ourselves.
It's much better to follow the instructions--the Bible.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Forsaking God
Readings:
II Chronicles 24
Acts 27:9-26
Focus:
II Chronicles 24:24: "Although the Arameans had invaded with a small force, the Lord delivered a very great army into their power, because the people had forsaken the Lord the God of their forefathers; and Joash suffered just punishment."
As long as Jehoiada the priest is alive, King Joash of Judah remains faithful to God, but after Jehoiada dies, Joash drifts away, and leads the people astray into worship of other gods.
After this happens, a small foreign army invades and wreaks a great defeat upon Judah. God no longer protects them against other countries, because they are no longer loyal to him. When Judah turns away from God, God lets them suffer the consequences.
God is more interested in our devotion to him than he is in showing his power. God could have continued to show how great the God of Judah was, and he could have continued to give Judah military victory every time. But instead, he wanted the hearts of the people of Judah. When their hearts turned away, and he let them feel the consequences of their decision, it might be that they would realize their need of God.
God deals with us in the same way. He does not force us to love him and give ourselves to him. When we choose him, we have his love and hope for the future. But if we turn from him, he lets us take the consequences of that decision. We have only ourselves to thank for that.
II Chronicles 24
Acts 27:9-26
Focus:
II Chronicles 24:24: "Although the Arameans had invaded with a small force, the Lord delivered a very great army into their power, because the people had forsaken the Lord the God of their forefathers; and Joash suffered just punishment."
As long as Jehoiada the priest is alive, King Joash of Judah remains faithful to God, but after Jehoiada dies, Joash drifts away, and leads the people astray into worship of other gods.
After this happens, a small foreign army invades and wreaks a great defeat upon Judah. God no longer protects them against other countries, because they are no longer loyal to him. When Judah turns away from God, God lets them suffer the consequences.
God is more interested in our devotion to him than he is in showing his power. God could have continued to show how great the God of Judah was, and he could have continued to give Judah military victory every time. But instead, he wanted the hearts of the people of Judah. When their hearts turned away, and he let them feel the consequences of their decision, it might be that they would realize their need of God.
God deals with us in the same way. He does not force us to love him and give ourselves to him. When we choose him, we have his love and hope for the future. But if we turn from him, he lets us take the consequences of that decision. We have only ourselves to thank for that.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Forsaking God When We Are Strong
Readings:
II Chronicles 12
Acts 21:1-14
Focus:
II Chronicles 12:1: "When Rehoboam's kingdom was firmly established and he grew powerful, he along with all Israel forsook the law of the Lord."
It is so tempting, when we are successful or strong or powerful, to think of our own achievements, and to give credit to ourselves for what we have done and become. It is easy at times like that to forget God.
That appears to be what happened to Rehoboam and the kingdom of Israel over which he ruled. He no longer felt the need for God. He was a powerful king; why did he need to turn to God?
When this happened to Rehoboam, God brought the King of Egypt to defeat Rehoboam and become his master, so that Rehoboam would know the difference between serving the Egyptian king and serving God. It is a good lesson to learn. Serving God is far better than being in bondage to people or things.
II Chronicles 12
Acts 21:1-14
Focus:
II Chronicles 12:1: "When Rehoboam's kingdom was firmly established and he grew powerful, he along with all Israel forsook the law of the Lord."
It is so tempting, when we are successful or strong or powerful, to think of our own achievements, and to give credit to ourselves for what we have done and become. It is easy at times like that to forget God.
That appears to be what happened to Rehoboam and the kingdom of Israel over which he ruled. He no longer felt the need for God. He was a powerful king; why did he need to turn to God?
When this happened to Rehoboam, God brought the King of Egypt to defeat Rehoboam and become his master, so that Rehoboam would know the difference between serving the Egyptian king and serving God. It is a good lesson to learn. Serving God is far better than being in bondage to people or things.
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