Daily Devotional for October 14, 2014

Malachi 4:2-3
But for you that honor my name, victory will shine like the sun with healing in its rays, and you will jump around like calves at play. When I come to bring justice, you will trample those who are evil, as though they were ashes under your feet. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

In 2005, former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood received a Grammy Award for the Best Female Country Vocal Performance of “Before He Cheats*”.  The lyrics to this song say in part...

I dug my key into the side
of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive,
carved my name into his leather seats...

I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights,
slashed a hole in all 4 tires...
Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats.

Maybe you haven’t felt like taking a key to someone’s car, slashing the seats and tires, or smashing in the headlights.  But let’s be honest...we’ve all been irritated about something or someone at one time or another - and at least secretly wished that “someday, he/she will be sorry.”  At the end of the day, we are human – and sinful...which means we all will eventually seek “revenge” of some kind...even if it is to delight in a “tit for tat” bad call during a ballgame – or to take comfort in the thought that one of these days, another person will have to answer for his/her “sins” and missteps.  Our victorious “jumping around like calves at play” is often somewhat misguided!

I found this passage rich with message and meaning on several levels:

• When you drill it all down, we don’t have to worry about the other guy – God will handle him/her.
• All we are called to do is honor the name of God - every day, in all things.
• Doing the right thing will be its own reward...God will fill us with joy and a lightness of heart and mind that has us practically leaping in the air with delight.
• God is in complete control.  This should “lighten our load”.  We should feel calmer...more peaceful, collected and confident as we leave our worries and concerns in God’s hands and focus only on loving and serving Him in everything.

God will deal with those who are evil.  Even though this passage says that when Christ returns, we will trample those who do evil under our feet like ashes and dirt...this “word” is truly for another day and time.  It should not be our main focus today.  Thoughts of revenge really shouldn’t even be on our radar.  We shouldn’t care about whether someone “thinks before he cheats”.  We should be focused on our own lives and making sure that we operate fully in God’s will.

If only we could learn to operate more in the joy of the LORD and focus on pleasing Him.  If only we could learn to more fully trust His power to handle our worries and concerns...to heal our heartaches just as surely as He heals our wounds and diseases...we would surely be more effective disciples – with contented souls!  I am so ready to “let go and let God”...to trust that He’s got my back – now and for all eternity.  I’m ready to focus less on the other guy and more on Jesus.  I’m ready to bask in the healing rays of God’s sunshine – and to feel my heart leaping with joy like young calves at play.  Aren’t you?

©2014 Debbie Robus

*Before He Cheats ~ ©2005 ~ written by Chris Tompkins & Josh Kear ~ Performed by Carrie Underwood for Arista Nashville Records ~ Sony Music Nashville (US)  www.aristanashville.com