First, Read How It All Turns Out!
BIBLE MEDITATION:
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A boy was reading a murder mystery one day, and he became anxious about whether the heroine was going to live. To alleviate his anxiety, he read the last chapter and discovered that she survived!
Afterwards, when he read that the villain was planning a dastardly deed, he chuckled to himself and thought, “If you knew what I know, you wouldn’t be so haughty.”
ACTION POINT:
Christians know the last chapter, and that helps us cope with the present. Indeed, the glories of the future can help dilute the sorrows of the present. The devil’s doom is pronounced in Genesis—and it’s executed in Revelation.
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A boy was reading a murder mystery one day, and he became anxious about whether the heroine was going to live. To alleviate his anxiety, he read the last chapter and discovered that she survived!
Afterwards, when he read that the villain was planning a dastardly deed, he chuckled to himself and thought, “If you knew what I know, you wouldn’t be so haughty.”
ACTION POINT:
Christians know the last chapter, and that helps us cope with the present. Indeed, the glories of the future can help dilute the sorrows of the present. The devil’s doom is pronounced in Genesis—and it’s executed in Revelation.
~Adrian Rogers~
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Psalm 29:1-2 commands us to ascribe (attribute or give) to the Lord glory. Then in the verses that follow, David does just that. He puts before us example after example of God's magnificence, power and splendor.
How and when do you give glory to the Lord? Is it your practice to verbally recognize and praise God for who He is as you go about your week?
~Tami~
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Settle Matters
Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison”. Matthew 5:25
Settle matters sooner than later, so all parties can focus on other significant issues. Lawsuits drain the life from relationships and can easily bring long-term relational harm. It is a financial bottomless pit that throws stewardship to the wind. Check everyone’s motivation, if fear, greed or anger is driving the legal process, then it is unhealthy.
Why go through the emotional torture of a long drawn out litigious process? A call for justice is legitimate, but can there be a fair settlement without having to drag the relationship through an adversarial trial? Can’t someone be the mature Christian adult and bring a close to the conflict? Money can be made again, but broken relationships may not be mended. Early Christians struggled with these issues of how to settle matters well.
“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers” (1 Corinthians 6:7-8).
Maybe you are in a legal contract that is onerous, even unbearable. Circumstances have changed in your work environment and you are straddled with a commitment you are struggling to fulfill. Have you gone to the other party and explained your situation? Have you ask them for concessions and for a new contract? Perhaps there are other options that can be worked out between you. Humble yourself and trust God to work it out.
“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler” (Proverbs 6:1-5).
Be honest and from a prayerful position seek to understand the needs of the other and then offer reasonable solutions to the situation. Pray the Lord will open the heart of the other party and bring creative alternatives to the table for discussion. Remember to keep your Christian testimony pure and attractive. Your kingdom is not of this world, so bring honor to King Jesus by doing the right thing in the right way. Settle matters soon.
Application: How can I settle matters in a manner that honors the Lord and all parties?
~Wisdom Hunters Devotional~
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Settle matters sooner than later, so all parties can focus on other significant issues. Lawsuits drain the life from relationships and can easily bring long-term relational harm. It is a financial bottomless pit that throws stewardship to the wind. Check everyone’s motivation, if fear, greed or anger is driving the legal process, then it is unhealthy.
Why go through the emotional torture of a long drawn out litigious process? A call for justice is legitimate, but can there be a fair settlement without having to drag the relationship through an adversarial trial? Can’t someone be the mature Christian adult and bring a close to the conflict? Money can be made again, but broken relationships may not be mended. Early Christians struggled with these issues of how to settle matters well.
“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers” (1 Corinthians 6:7-8).
Maybe you are in a legal contract that is onerous, even unbearable. Circumstances have changed in your work environment and you are straddled with a commitment you are struggling to fulfill. Have you gone to the other party and explained your situation? Have you ask them for concessions and for a new contract? Perhaps there are other options that can be worked out between you. Humble yourself and trust God to work it out.
“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler” (Proverbs 6:1-5).
Be honest and from a prayerful position seek to understand the needs of the other and then offer reasonable solutions to the situation. Pray the Lord will open the heart of the other party and bring creative alternatives to the table for discussion. Remember to keep your Christian testimony pure and attractive. Your kingdom is not of this world, so bring honor to King Jesus by doing the right thing in the right way. Settle matters soon.
Application: How can I settle matters in a manner that honors the Lord and all parties?
~Wisdom Hunters Devotional~
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Judges 7:20
The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.
Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon's watchword, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" God must do it, it is His own work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used-"The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" If we only cry, "The sword of the Lord!" we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, "The sword of Gideon!" alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in His name determine to go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign for ever and ever.
~Charles Spurgeon~
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Ecclesiastes 11:6
In the evening withhold not thy hand.
In the evening of the day opportunities are plentiful: men return from their labour, and the zealous soul-winner finds time to tell abroad the love of Jesus. Have I no evening work for Jesus? If I have not, let me no longer withhold my hand from a service which requires abundant labour. Sinners are perishing for lack of knowledge; he who loiters may find his skirts crimson with the blood of souls. Jesus gave both His hands to the nails, how can I keep back one of mine from His blessed work? Night and day He toiled and prayed for me, how can I give a single hour to the pampering of my flesh with luxurious ease? Up, idle heart; stretch out thy hand to work, or uplift it to pray; heaven and hell are in earnest, let me be so, and this evening sow good seed for the Lord my God. The evening of life has also its calls. Life is so short that a morning of manhood's vigour, and an evening of decay, make the whole of it. To some it seems long, but a four-pence is a great sum of money to a poor man. Life is so brief that no man can afford to lose a day. It has been well said that if a great king should bring us a great heap of gold, and bid us take as much as we could count in a day, we should make a long day of it; we should begin early in the morning, and in the evening we should not withhold our hand; but to win souls is far nobler work, how is it that we so soon withdraw from it? Some are spared to a long evening of green old age; if such be my case, let me use such talents as I still retain, and to the last hour serve my blessed and faithful Lord. By His grace I will die in harness, and lay down my charge only when I lay down my body. Age may instruct the young, cheer the faint, and encourage the desponding; if eventide has less of vigorous heat, it should have more of calm wisdom, therefore in the evening I will not withhold my hand.
~Charles Spurgeon~
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