Luke 12:57-59
“You don’t have to be a genius to
understand these things. Just use your common sense, the kind you’d use
if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your
accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you’d
probably go to jail and pay every last penny of the fine. That’s the
kind of decision I’m asking you to make.”
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
The
late poet and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou, is credited with the
phrase…”When you know better, you do better.” If only that were true
for most of us! I hope you understand that today’s scripture passage is
not really about settling a dispute before you get to court…at least
not in the way that you think. If you go back and read the preceding
verses of Luke 12, you will see that Jesus is telling a crowd that had
gathered that there was a change on the horizon. He was warning the
disciples and others who were listening about the false teachings of
those who didn’t want to recognize Him as the Messiah – or change their
sinful ways.
So when Jesus talks of “settling up with your
accuser” on the way to court, He is really telling us to get our act
together now…or prepare for some serious judgment and punishment at some
point! In other words, our actions have consequences…and failure to
listen to Jesus and follow His teachings can get us in a heap of
trouble!
What does this mean in everyday language for you and
me? It means that before we say something unkind or questionable about
another person, we need to prayerfully consider whether Jesus approves.
Before we decide to lash out at someone – or discriminate against
anyone in any way…we should remind ourselves of Jesus’ words in Luke
10:27 to love others as God loves us – and we love ourselves.
Every
day when we awake, we should ask God to guide our steps. We should
invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and guard our words and
actions. We should use the wisdom and “common sense” that Jesus
continually gives us to avoid pitfalls and recognize the persuasions of
imposters, con artists, frauds, and quacks who want to lead us down the
wrong path. We should practice “active discipleship,” meaning we should
steep ourselves in God’s Word and check at every turn to make sure that
what we say and do lines up with His directives. We should never waste
an opportunity to represent Jesus to another person – if only to offer
him/her our warmest smile.
It’s pretty simple, really. How we
live today matters. At some point, we will all have to answer to God
for the things we said and did…how we treated others…whether we
represented Jesus’ teachings and honored His sacrifice…and whether or
not we truly even knew Him as our Savior. I don’t know about you, but
when I stand before God and receive my “review,” I want to know that I
did everything possible to honor and glorify my LORD…that I did my
dead-level best to live every day according to His will.
When God
says to you, “Let’s talk about how it went…” will your reply be one
that reflects solid faithfulness – or more of a lousy excuse? This is
the kind of decision that Christ is calling us to make today. How will
you respond?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label answering to God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label answering to God. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for October 16, 2011
Psalm 119:1-8
Our LORD, you bless everyone who lives right and obeys your Law. You bless all of those who follow your commands from deep in their hearts and who never do wrong or turn from you. You have ordered us always to obey your teachings; I don't ever want to stray from your laws. Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing. I will do right and praise you by learning to respect your perfect laws. I will obey all of them! Don't turn your back on me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was teaching kindergarten, I had three basic rules - or “laws”:
1. Be kind to others.
2. Work and play quietly.
3. Obey promptly.
I was very clear about these rules – and the consequences of breaking them. We spent the first week of school learning the rules and reviewing them in fun ways. These rules were simple… yet comprehensive… and we all knew from the beginning where we each stood.
If you drill it down, this is how it is for Christians, too. We know the rules…
1. Accept Jesus as your LORD and Savior.
2. Love God with all your heart.
3. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
4. Serve God by serving others and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When you understand the rules – and the consequences of disobeying them (or simply choosing not to follow them) – you realize that life can be fairly simple and straightforward. When we surrender to God and obey His laws, He takes care of the rest.
Does this mean our life is always perfect? Does this mean we don’t have trials, tests, problems and hard times? Absolutely NOT! But it does mean that we never have anything that we cannot handle with God’s help. He never turns away from us and always stands right beside us to meet the day head-on!
My kindergarten students were not perfect… and more than a handful tested the waters to see if the consequences for breaking rules would be as promised. And we do this with God sometimes. The answer in both situations is “YES!” We know what will happen when we obey and serve – and when we don’t. So the choice seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?!
Trust God… serve Him obediently and follow His laws. Praise Him for guiding your steps and blessing you every single day. And rest in the confidence that He will do exactly that!
©2011 Debbie Robus
Our LORD, you bless everyone who lives right and obeys your Law. You bless all of those who follow your commands from deep in their hearts and who never do wrong or turn from you. You have ordered us always to obey your teachings; I don't ever want to stray from your laws. Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing. I will do right and praise you by learning to respect your perfect laws. I will obey all of them! Don't turn your back on me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was teaching kindergarten, I had three basic rules - or “laws”:
1. Be kind to others.
2. Work and play quietly.
3. Obey promptly.
I was very clear about these rules – and the consequences of breaking them. We spent the first week of school learning the rules and reviewing them in fun ways. These rules were simple… yet comprehensive… and we all knew from the beginning where we each stood.
If you drill it down, this is how it is for Christians, too. We know the rules…
1. Accept Jesus as your LORD and Savior.
2. Love God with all your heart.
3. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
4. Serve God by serving others and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When you understand the rules – and the consequences of disobeying them (or simply choosing not to follow them) – you realize that life can be fairly simple and straightforward. When we surrender to God and obey His laws, He takes care of the rest.
Does this mean our life is always perfect? Does this mean we don’t have trials, tests, problems and hard times? Absolutely NOT! But it does mean that we never have anything that we cannot handle with God’s help. He never turns away from us and always stands right beside us to meet the day head-on!
My kindergarten students were not perfect… and more than a handful tested the waters to see if the consequences for breaking rules would be as promised. And we do this with God sometimes. The answer in both situations is “YES!” We know what will happen when we obey and serve – and when we don’t. So the choice seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?!
Trust God… serve Him obediently and follow His laws. Praise Him for guiding your steps and blessing you every single day. And rest in the confidence that He will do exactly that!
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 28, 2011
John 7:21-24
Jesus answered: I worked one miracle, and it amazed you. Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons. But it wasn't really Moses who gave you this command. It was your ancestors, and even on the Sabbath you circumcise your sons in order to obey the Law of Moses. Why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath? Don't judge by appearances. Judge by what is right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was a little girl, most stores were not open on Sunday. There was a law, known as the “Blue Law” that prohibited the sale of certain items on Sunday, including groceries, clothing, and other items. We could go to a restaurant and eat, but we couldn’t go to a grocery store and buy a gallon of milk and a hunk of bologna! Sunday was truly considered a day of rest for many. I remember my mother finding me at the sewing machine one Sunday afternoon when I was a young teenager, and she asked, “You’re sewing on Sunday?”
While it’s too bad that some people have to work every single Sunday and have limited opportunities to attend church services, it’s also pretty hypocritical to say that it is okay for restaurant staff to serve us a meal… or for doctors and nurses to treat us in a hospital on Sunday, but it is wrong for people to sell baby food and other groceries, clothing, medicine, and more. Why was it acceptable for my grandfather to feed his livestock on Sunday morning before church, but considered questionable for me to spend Sunday afternoon between services sewing a new garment? I will tell you that my mother has changed her thinking about this through the years… as have many.
The bigger question… as posed by Jesus in Judea… is “Who are we to judge?” Do we assume that someone who works on Sunday doesn’t care about their faith? Just because we know someone who doesn’t attend services every time the doors are open, do we think they are a lesser Christian? Do we make all sorts of assumptions about those who don’t appear to be as active in the church as others? In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says some of the most important service ever done for the LORD is some of the seemingly most insignificant…and certainly least visible. In truth, is our judgment of someone who works on Sunday masking a more deep-seated judgment of that person in general? Like the people of Judea who were challenging Jesus, do we have a hidden agenda?
We cannot make judgments based on what day it is, or what we observe and hear. There is always so much more that we do not know. So often, we don’t have all the facts. Jesus is reminding us in this passage to judge what is right… to look at the outcome – the end result. Never judge based on appearance. Always remember that you don’t have all the facts and cannot assume anything. At the end of the day, only God can decide whether another is doing the right thing… living correctly and making the best use of his/her time.
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I can dash into the store after church on Sunday and pick up bread and milk. I’m thankful that there are people willing to work weekends… and I pray that they have a Sunday off here and there to be with their family and attend church if they wish. I’m grateful that someone is running a gas station, in case I need to fuel up on the Sabbath… and I honestly don’t think God minds if I spend my Sunday afternoon shopping instead of napping.
It is important that we know where we stand with God… and that we behave in a way that models the teachings of Jesus. But at the end of the day, nobody knows our heart but us and God. Surely we want others to remember this when they begin to judge us… and we must do the same in return.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Jesus answered: I worked one miracle, and it amazed you. Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons. But it wasn't really Moses who gave you this command. It was your ancestors, and even on the Sabbath you circumcise your sons in order to obey the Law of Moses. Why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath? Don't judge by appearances. Judge by what is right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was a little girl, most stores were not open on Sunday. There was a law, known as the “Blue Law” that prohibited the sale of certain items on Sunday, including groceries, clothing, and other items. We could go to a restaurant and eat, but we couldn’t go to a grocery store and buy a gallon of milk and a hunk of bologna! Sunday was truly considered a day of rest for many. I remember my mother finding me at the sewing machine one Sunday afternoon when I was a young teenager, and she asked, “You’re sewing on Sunday?”
While it’s too bad that some people have to work every single Sunday and have limited opportunities to attend church services, it’s also pretty hypocritical to say that it is okay for restaurant staff to serve us a meal… or for doctors and nurses to treat us in a hospital on Sunday, but it is wrong for people to sell baby food and other groceries, clothing, medicine, and more. Why was it acceptable for my grandfather to feed his livestock on Sunday morning before church, but considered questionable for me to spend Sunday afternoon between services sewing a new garment? I will tell you that my mother has changed her thinking about this through the years… as have many.
The bigger question… as posed by Jesus in Judea… is “Who are we to judge?” Do we assume that someone who works on Sunday doesn’t care about their faith? Just because we know someone who doesn’t attend services every time the doors are open, do we think they are a lesser Christian? Do we make all sorts of assumptions about those who don’t appear to be as active in the church as others? In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says some of the most important service ever done for the LORD is some of the seemingly most insignificant…and certainly least visible. In truth, is our judgment of someone who works on Sunday masking a more deep-seated judgment of that person in general? Like the people of Judea who were challenging Jesus, do we have a hidden agenda?
We cannot make judgments based on what day it is, or what we observe and hear. There is always so much more that we do not know. So often, we don’t have all the facts. Jesus is reminding us in this passage to judge what is right… to look at the outcome – the end result. Never judge based on appearance. Always remember that you don’t have all the facts and cannot assume anything. At the end of the day, only God can decide whether another is doing the right thing… living correctly and making the best use of his/her time.
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I can dash into the store after church on Sunday and pick up bread and milk. I’m thankful that there are people willing to work weekends… and I pray that they have a Sunday off here and there to be with their family and attend church if they wish. I’m grateful that someone is running a gas station, in case I need to fuel up on the Sabbath… and I honestly don’t think God minds if I spend my Sunday afternoon shopping instead of napping.
It is important that we know where we stand with God… and that we behave in a way that models the teachings of Jesus. But at the end of the day, nobody knows our heart but us and God. Surely we want others to remember this when they begin to judge us… and we must do the same in return.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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