Do the Right Thing

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:17

It's funny how many of us are old enough to marry, to vote, or buy a home, but yet we still must learn and practice to do right. We were born in sin and shaped in iniquity (Psalm 51:5) so in this state, our nature would have us fulfill the lusts of the flesh. In today's text we are encouraged to do right, to seek justice, to take care of widows and the fatherless. All of this requires selflessness and the power of the Holy Spirit!

The very next time you're faced with a dilemma that begs for a dose of integrity, remember to always do the right thing in the eyes of the Lord! He's ALWAYS watching and waiting on our response.

Your thoughts!

How to Approach God

14. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15

These two verses carry so much promise and knowing them is half the battle. Believing them is the other half. Our heavenly Father is not a genie in a bottle, so we are not to go to Him with a wish, but we are to go in confidence, knowing that He is going to hear our petition (because it DOES line up with His will for our lives) and knowing that we already have (in the spirit realm) what we’re asking for. Now this is where we get tripped up: we are to wait until the THING manifests itself in the natural!

Many have viewed waiting as a chore or inconvenience, but look at it this way: they that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31a). Waiting on God is a time of refreshing and renewing of our strength as He prepares us for what He is about to do in our lives. God’s timing is always ON TIME and He knows what we can handle and when we can handle it.

Are you confident in your approach to God? Do you know His will for your life?

Your thoughts!

Turning the Table

32. Then the master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said, I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? 34. In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart. Matthew 18:32-35 NIV

In my walk with Christ, one of the most difficult things I’ve found from talking to people, is their ability and or willingness to forgive. Some want to do it but don’t quite know how to, other than to simply mouth the words. And then there are people who feel it just isn’t fair to “let people off that easy.” In today’s text we see how the tables have turned for a servant who in earlier Scriptures, have asked his master to forgive him of all his debts. The master does so with compassion, but later finds that the servant was faced with the same dilemma and chose not to forgive the person.

What is it that causes us to believe we’re the only ones in need of forgiveness and compassion? Why can’t we extend the same courtesy that others extend to us or the forgiveness God Himself extends to us? If I may, please allow me to help in this matter. If we love God, we will obey His Word. His Word teaches us, if we DO NOT forgive, He will NOT forgive us. So first and foremost, we should want to forgive others out of love for the Father, and secondly, we should want to forgive because it frees us from torment (tortured).

Verse 34 states he was handed over to the jailors to be tortured. If we do not forgive, we put ourselves at risk to be tormented by the enemy over something we have no control over. That’s right! We can’t control the actions of others but we most certainly can control how we respond. If you’re looking for a way to forgive, examine your heart, move with compassion, react to obedience and FORGIVE from your heart and not just your mouth!

Remember, it’s time for the table to be turned!

Your thoughts!