Resentment Kills a Fool

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Question: Who do you think resentment hurts more, you, or the person you resent? If you answered “You,” you answered correctly. Holding on to resentment hurts you more than others. Because of that, resentment makes no sense; it is counter productive and self-destructive. 

If anyone had a reason to be resentful, it was Job, a godly man who had, but lost, everything. But Job was a wise man. He knew the destructive nature of resentment and refused to give in to its pull. 

How about you? Can you look back and see the silly, hurtful things you did when you gave in to resentment? “I’ll get even with him/her.” You probably said that at one time or another, and then found a ridiculous way to make it happen. 

I remember an episode of The Three Stooges. Mo and Curly were at it, and Mo kept hitting Curly on the chest. When Mo left the room, Curly said, “I’m going to get even with that guy. I’ll show him.” What did he do? He strapped a stick of dynamite to his chest and said, “The next time he hits me, it’s going to blow his hand off.” You can do some pretty stupid things when you are overcome with resentment!

The problem is, resentment isn’t helpful. You may get an ounce or two of flesh, but you will be miserable in the process. Here’s my advice: Let it go. Forgive!  

Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. Job 5:2

Don’t be Afraid to Wait

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

If you are waiting on God for something, I want you to know this: You are in good company!

Old Testament saints, New Testament saints, and millions of Christ followers since then have been in God’s waiting room. So, if you are waiting on God for something now — a job, a relationship, an answer to prayer — you are not alone!

The book of Hebrews lists the names of a lot of people described by commentators as “The Household of the Faithful.” They were noted for their faith but, they too, had to wait. Think about…

Hannah - who waited many years to have a baby she had been praying for. Think about…

Joseph - who waited 14 years in an Egyptian prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Think about…

Moses - who remained 40 years in the wilderness, waiting for entry into the Promised Land. Think about…

Abraham - who waited until he was 100 years old to receive the child God had promised him years before. Think about…

Noah - who waited 120 years for rain to come. Think about…

The Nation of Israel - that waited thousands of years before the Messiah came.

We seem to be in a hurry for everything, don’t we? May I remind you, God is NOT in a hurry! Waiting is an essential component of your faith. 

And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:15

Take the Hate Test

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I’m convinced that one of the most destructive attitudes (arguably the most destructive) is hatred. Let’s be honest with each other, what kind of testimony does a Christ follower demonstrate when he/she exhibits loathing, rage, and malice? And worse yet, what does it say about the Christ they say they serve?

The exhibition of hate is disgusting, and the antithesis of the Christlikeness to which we are called. So why is it that so many professing Christ followers are teemed with hostility? Where does it come from anyway? Could it be our inability to forgive those who have hurt us?

I want you to think about someone that has hurt you — especially when it was underserved. Now, let’s take the “Hate Test.”

1. When you hate, there is no relief of memory: Does your mind repeat the offense over and over?

2. When you hate, there is a desire to inflict hurt: Do you secretly desire the offender to experience the same pain you have experienced? 

3. When you hate, there is ill-will: Can you sincerely pray for God’s rich blessing on the offender? 

The answers to these simple questions reveal what’s really in your heart. If you find any degree of hatred/animosity there, here’s what I suggest: Read the passage from Ephesians below. If necessary, read it over and over until you can personalize it into a prayer. Allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse and heal your heart. If you will let Him, He will give you all the power you need to forgive any old hurt. 

All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Ephesians 4:31-32

Angels

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Angels have played a prominent role in Western art. I’m sure it has to do with the Bible’s influence on it. There seems to be a resurgence of thought about angels today. They are getting more and more attention in our culture. However, due to the more naturalistic view of our society, this new spirituality has produced a belief in angels that is stripped from the absolute claims of Christianity. 

I saw a bumper sticker recently that read: I believe in Angels… and Wicca, Buddha, Jesus, and Joseph Smith. That is quite a statement!

Scripture describes angels as servants of God, and helpers of mankind. Here’s how the author of Hebrews describes them: Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation [1:13-14]. They are not almighty, but they are powerful creatures. And from the biblical record, their task seems to be to glorify God and fight on His behalf against all His enemies [examples: Isaiah 6:1-3; 2 Kings 19:35]. 

It thrills me to know that angels watch over us [Psalm 91:11-12]. We are not guarded by chubby cherubs with tiny wings. No! The angels that protect us are mighty creatures who have been given their strength and mission by God. I see no reason to believe that they are any different or operate differently today than they did in biblical times. 

God has not abandoned us. The Lord of Hosts (armies of angels) is on our side. Because of that, what enemy need we fear? 

For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands. Psalm 91:11-12a

Stay Focused on the Right Thing

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

You can be full of joy even when life seems to be falling apart, if you stay focused on your purpose and not your problems.

The Apostle Paul is a great example of that. He was in a Roman prison, far away from home. The time of his execution was near. He had no freedom and privacy now; he was chained to a guard every minute of every day. Humanly speaking, it wasn’t a happy time for Paul. 

Even though he was stripped of the basic things of life, Paul remained joyful because he stayed focused on the right thing, his purpose in life — serving God by serving others. With that, he told the Philippian Christ followers that as long as he remained in life, “I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” [Philippians 1:25].

One of my all-time favorite books is, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. He survived Nazi death camps and became a renowned Jewish psychiatrist. He was separated from his family and friends who were killed, some by bullets and some by gas. He described a day when everything was stripped away, and he stood naked before a Gestapo officer. A powerful (may I say, divine) revelation came to him. It was something that sustained him during the horror of the Holocaust; the Nazis could take everything away from him but one thing—how he chose to respond to his circumstance. 

There are many things in life that are beyond our control. It does make life difficult at times. If we focus on those things, life can be miserable. But if we focus on the right thing, God’s purpose for our lives — serving God by serving others — we can, like Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always” [Philippians 4:4]. 

If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet, what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith. Philippians 1:22-25

Godly Wisdom

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

One of the great sins of fallen man is the tendency to think they know more than anyone else, including God. You’ve probably known people that refuse correction under any circumstance. If you’re honest, you’ve probably refused correction too. I know I have. The truth is, that is a manifestation of our tendency to exalt our wisdom above the wisdom of others. It’s not new; it goes all the way back to the beginning when Adam and Eve thought they were wiser than their creator and chose to eat the forbidden fruit [Geneses 3:1-7].

That’s why throughout Scripture we are warned not to think more highly of ourselves than we should, not to lean on our own understanding, and not to be wise in our own eyes. We are constantly reminded to first and foremost trust in the Lord and His Word, and also trust the godly wisdom evident in the life of faithful Christ followers [see Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 13:20; Colossians 2:1-3; James 3:13-18]. A wise person is always open to correction. 

When a person is wise in his own eyes, the less likely he is to fear the Lord and turn from evil. It causes him, as it did Adam and Eve, to believe he knows better than God, to reject God’s way, and to do what is right is his own eyes. 

It stands to reason that there are blessings that follow those who trust in the wisdom of God and others, not the least of which is “repentance that leads to salvation” [2 Corinthians 7:10].

Matthew Henry wrote, “There is not a greater enemy to the power of religion, and the fear of God in the heart, than conceitedness of our own wisdom.” When we put our wisdom above God’s wisdom, we fall into sin, and it only gets worse from there. To stay on course, we must daily turn to God and His Word, confess our own foolishness, and seek to learn from others that are wiser than we are.

Don’t consider yourself to be wise: fear the LORD and turn away from evil. This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8

God Is On Our Side

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Among the most precious promises in Scripture is that the Lord is with us, whenever and wherever. That promise was given to Israel and to the Church—every Christ follower [see Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5]. Think about that for just a moment. He is with us every step of the way, with assurance and His providential care. And remarkably, He gave His word that He would fight for His people [Exodus 14:14]. He is on our side.

But let’s be very clear, God is on our side because we are on His side! He is on our side because we have bowed our knee to Him and surrendered to His way. And by the way, that is no guarantee of success in every endeavor.  He sometimes allows what seems to be a loss in order to win the victory. Consider Jesus, if you will. The cross appeared to be a defeat at the hand of sin, but now we know it was victory [Colossians 2:13-15].

Augustine wrote, “From what class soever my enemies may arise, whether from the number of evil men, or from the number of evil angels; in the Lord’s help, unto whom we chant the confession of praise, unto whom we sing Allelujah, they shall be despised.” 

Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Too great for Him to handle? Absolutely not! So we praise Him, with complete confidence that He will bring the final victory. He is our all-sufficient help in time of trouble.

The LORD is for me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is my helper, therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me. Psalm 118:6-7