Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up trouble;
love overlooks the wrongs
that others do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In
2005, Ashley Smith - a widowed mother in Duluth, Georgia - was
recovering from a meth addiction. Brian Nichols was an accused rapist
who murdered four people in the Fulton County Courthouse and fled.
Nichols captured Smith in the parking lot of her apartment complex and
held her hostage in her home for seven hours.
Fearing for her
life, Smith reached out to Nichols. She made him pancakes. She pulled
out a book that she had been reading…and with Nichols’ permission, she
read it aloud to him. That book was Pastor Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life*. Ultimately, Smith persuaded Nichols to surrender, and today, he is serving multiple prison terms - with no chance of parole.
Ashley
Smith Robinson remarried in 2007 and now has three children. She is an
x-ray technician and shares her story at speaking engagements across
the nation. Her story will be told in an upcoming movie, Captive**,
in which she is portrayed by actress, Kate Mara. Brian Nichols is
played by Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo. The movie is based on
Smith-Robinson’s book, Unlikely Angel***.
Here’s the
thing…not every bad situation turns out as well as this one did. I
don’t mean to imply that all we have to do is whip out a Bible or an
inspirational book, and we can soften the most hardened of hearts – or
even save lives in the process. If this was the case, at least some of
the nine people who perished at a Bible study in Charleston, South
Carolina, might still be with us.
But there is a lot of “meat”
in this one verse. Hatred does stir up trouble. Just look at Ferguson,
Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland. Look at the protests that are
taking place around our country at political rallies and in front of
courthouses. When I stop and think about how we grieve God each and
every day with our hate-filled words and actions – many offered in the
name of Jesus – I am astounded! And then I learn about this new
movie…and I am reminded of the faith and courage of one woman who was
just digging her way out of drug addiction and seeking God...and I am
prompted to consider what true love and Christian faith offers.
“But
this didn’t help those people in Charleston,” you may suggest. And you
are right…on the surface. But the witness of those nine people…the
forgiveness offered to that killer by their survivors…the lack of
rioting and protesting in the streets of Charleston afterward and the
tremendous outpouring of love and support – extended to a stirring
address and rendition of “Amazing Grace” by our President at one of the
memorial services…all demonstrate the love and power of God to heal and
redeem.
Who knows whether the young man accused in the
Charleston murders will surrender his heart to Jesus? He has at least
been given a chance to do so. I don’t know if the love and kindness
that Ashley Smith Robinson showed to Brian Nichols that day in 2005 was a
catalyst for him to receive Jesus Christ into his heart. But I do know
that he has the opportunity to hear the Gospel now and make that
decision. Every life and soul counts for God’s Kingdom!
We
need to really let this soak into our hearts. We need to examine how
we react to others and determine where and when we operate in hatred and
unforgiveness…and where we operate in love - and open the door for God
to work. Will this be the day that you do some internal soul searching
and ask God to correct your attitudes? Are you able to truly love
others in Jesus’ name – even in the midst of great upheaval,
disappointment and/or heartache? Isn’t it time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*The Purpose Driven Life - http://purposedriven.com/books/pdlbook/#purposehttp://purposedriven.com/books/pdlbook/#purpose
**Captive - http://www.captivethemovie.com/
***Unlikely Angel - http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Angel-Untold-Atlanta-Hostage-ebook/dp/B0040GJDXAhttp://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Angel-Untold-Atlanta-Hostage-ebook/dp/B0040GJDXA
Showing posts with label guarding our hearts words actions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guarding our hearts words actions. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for January 15, 2015
Habakkuk 1:12-13
God, you’re from eternity, aren’t you? Holy God, we aren’t going to die, are we? God, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work? Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline? But you can’t be serious! You can’t condone evil! So why don’t you do something about this? Why are you silent now? This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous and you stand around and watch!
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.
If ever there were a scripture passage that seemed timely, this is it. I listened to the latest “worldwide caution” issued by the State Department earlier today…as well as warnings from several “experts” on terrorism who say we should all be expecting an attack at some point…that there will be more confrontations and acts of violence committed against innocent people...that we need to be careful, and stay alert for anything amiss.
Does this mean we should adopt an attitude of fear and suspicion of every person or situation we encounter that seems a little “off” or different? I don’t think so. These alerts are not meant to make us leery of anyone who doesn’t look like us – or worship as we do. It is not a license to discriminate and operate in rigidity and intolerance toward any person or group – all in the name of “safety”.
The bigger question many may be asking is, “Why, God…WHY?” Many may be wondering why God is allowing evil men to do evil things…and to hurt innocent people in the bargain. It’s a logical question…and the answer is not that this fulfills some Biblical prophecy! Please…let’s NOT go THERE!
I believe that God wants us pay careful attention to the details of our lives. I don’t think that He intends for us to deliberately put ourselves in harmful situations. Yet, some of us do this by the very words we use when posting social media comments and talking amongst our “friends” about other people - using derogatory terms and suggesting that those who are not like us in some manner should all be locked up, tortured, or even killed.
God calls us to mind our words and our actions. Should we encounter an evil situation, this will be our “Daniel moment"…our opportunity to stand up for what we believe – and for WHOM we serve. If we are injured or killed in the process, the “bad guys” have not truly won.
We need to get a grip…to put this into perspective…to pray for the families and friends of those slain in Paris - and around the world – by the evil factions who wish to do us harm. And we need to prepare in the most important way – by making sure that we have a right relationship with Jesus Christ…that we are ready to meet Him face-to-face at a moment’s notice.
God will deal with evil – in His time and in His manner. This is not our worry. His heart breaks over their deeds, and He will attend to their punishment in due time. Meanwhile, we believers in Jesus Christ truly are safe…in His powerful and loving arms. Nothing and no one can harm us there. And this should be our primary focus. Are you truly prepared in the way that matters most? Isn’t it time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
God, you’re from eternity, aren’t you? Holy God, we aren’t going to die, are we? God, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work? Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline? But you can’t be serious! You can’t condone evil! So why don’t you do something about this? Why are you silent now? This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous and you stand around and watch!
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.
If ever there were a scripture passage that seemed timely, this is it. I listened to the latest “worldwide caution” issued by the State Department earlier today…as well as warnings from several “experts” on terrorism who say we should all be expecting an attack at some point…that there will be more confrontations and acts of violence committed against innocent people...that we need to be careful, and stay alert for anything amiss.
Does this mean we should adopt an attitude of fear and suspicion of every person or situation we encounter that seems a little “off” or different? I don’t think so. These alerts are not meant to make us leery of anyone who doesn’t look like us – or worship as we do. It is not a license to discriminate and operate in rigidity and intolerance toward any person or group – all in the name of “safety”.
The bigger question many may be asking is, “Why, God…WHY?” Many may be wondering why God is allowing evil men to do evil things…and to hurt innocent people in the bargain. It’s a logical question…and the answer is not that this fulfills some Biblical prophecy! Please…let’s NOT go THERE!
I believe that God wants us pay careful attention to the details of our lives. I don’t think that He intends for us to deliberately put ourselves in harmful situations. Yet, some of us do this by the very words we use when posting social media comments and talking amongst our “friends” about other people - using derogatory terms and suggesting that those who are not like us in some manner should all be locked up, tortured, or even killed.
God calls us to mind our words and our actions. Should we encounter an evil situation, this will be our “Daniel moment"…our opportunity to stand up for what we believe – and for WHOM we serve. If we are injured or killed in the process, the “bad guys” have not truly won.
We need to get a grip…to put this into perspective…to pray for the families and friends of those slain in Paris - and around the world – by the evil factions who wish to do us harm. And we need to prepare in the most important way – by making sure that we have a right relationship with Jesus Christ…that we are ready to meet Him face-to-face at a moment’s notice.
God will deal with evil – in His time and in His manner. This is not our worry. His heart breaks over their deeds, and He will attend to their punishment in due time. Meanwhile, we believers in Jesus Christ truly are safe…in His powerful and loving arms. Nothing and no one can harm us there. And this should be our primary focus. Are you truly prepared in the way that matters most? Isn’t it time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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