JUSTICE... Sunday

Devotional for 4/19/15

What is justice?  And no, I am not talking about the store that sells 'tween girls clothing!  I am speaking of what is right and fair, ethically and legally.  We dispute who rightly should receive certain things, whether they have "earned" it or are just expecting a "handout," etc.  We argue about the guilt or innocence of people in trials popularized by the press and what they deserve, even when we don't have all the facts or the inside information that the jury gets to hear.  We each have our own definition of justice at times. 

We all want to see that justice is served, but we don't always agree on what that looks like, especially if we happen to be the ones whose actions are under scrutiny!  But if we are the people "wronged," then we demand justice as we think it should be dealt out. So who decides what is correct?  The only one who can be absolutely just is God.  He knows what is in the hearts and minds of every person, and what is truly right and just.  He ensures that the ones who deserve it do receive it, whether that be reward or punishment, and when.

Job 34:12 (NIV)  It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.

Proverbs 21:15 (NIV)  When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.

What are we to do then, when we see or experience an injustice?  First, we ought to clean up our own side of the street.  We should make sure that we are doing what is right, ourselves. Of course, it is impossible for us to be totally perfect, and for that we approach God with repentance and ask for forgiveness.  God, in his love and mercy, will forgive the sins of those who are faithful and believe in Jesus Christ.  Second, if we are able to be God's tool to bring forth justice by being an honest witness or humble helper, then we should do so selflessly, not for our own gain.  And finally, we need to be ready to forgive if a person who wronged us is repentant, sincerely sorry and willing change their ways and make amends. For all of these things we rely on God to give us the ability to follow through, and ask him for his merciful forgiveness when we fail.  Thankfully, our Lord is endlessly loving and forgiving, even when we justly deserve punishment, because of his Son's sacrifice on the cross!

Psalm 36:5-6a (NIV)  Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.

Thank you, Dear Lord, for being a loving and forgiving God.  Help me to be your  faithful helper here on earth, witnessing to your righteousness and justice.  Keep me close to you and forgive me where I have done wrong.  Help me to turn around when I stray and guide me back to your righteous path.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Written by Jan Andersen

Song: "Your Love, Oh Lord"  by Third Day

THE WORD...Saturday

4/18/15                 

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

 Psalm 119:105

     How are you shaped?  I'm not talking about your physical shape.  I know I don't look anything like I did when I was 25 years old!  I also know I won't look like that again no matter how hard I work.  Time takes its toll on the body.

     What I'm referring to is: "How do you think?"  "What makes you tick?"  "What excites you and makes you want to get out to do something?"

     For Christians, the answer to all of these questions should be the Word of God.  God's Word creates who we are.  His gospel message, by the power of the Holy Spirit, has brought us to faith in Jesus.  The Word of God's grace in Jesus Christ gives us new life.  Reading the Word daily helps make us new and improved.  We learn about what God thinks and how He wants us to live.  His Word becomes a guide for our lives.  The Word of God shapes our lives into who God wants us to be.  Making us holy through the blood of Christ, he begins to make us holy in the way we live.  He draws us ever closer to Himself.  He gives us gifts we can use to share with others.  He transforms our lives.

     However, like anything else, if something sits on a shelf and forget it is there or don't use it --there is no benefit from it and eventually the item may not even function anymore.  So it is with the Christian who neglects God's Word.  The person may have saving faith in Jesus and go to heaven some day, but a full life will be missed without the "Bread of Life." 

     The next time you're walking on the treadmill or sit down to a great meal don't forget about the really necessary and important bread -- remember to feed on God's Word and transform your mind and your life!

Written by

Carol Steficek

Acceptance...Friday

April 17, 2015

  Therefore, accept one another, 

just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
Romans 15:7  (NASB)

Acceptance can be such a difficulty for me at times.  The struggle of accepting others, as well as accepting the situations in my life that I am walking through, it really should not be that complicated.  Look at how Christ accepted each and every one of us, so that we may have the glory of God.  He didn't cast any of us away because we didn't walk a perfect walk, or because we got discouraged along the way, or stumbled with our faith as we forget to give it all to Him. 

I struggle the most with accepting others when I see behaviors that are fake or catch them telling lies.  It is so hard for me to show love in return to that.  I have, however, become better at it when I remember that Christ wants me to love everyone. I also know that it gives glory to God when I can remain loving in all situations.  We are all sinners, and we are all loved by God.  Look at what Jesus said about the others as he was being taken to be crucified…

 Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. 

The people stood there staring at Jesus,
and the ringleaders made faces, taunting,
“He saved others. Let’s see him save himself!
The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen—ha!”

Luke 23:34-35 (MSG)

That is just so incredibly amazing to me!  How Jesus was being tortured and He still prayed for others.  I have come to realize that the people that may act dishonestly or in ways that just don’t make sense to me, maybe they really don’t realize what they are doing.  Maybe that is all they know and can’t see that in themselves.  All I can do is be more like Jesus and pray for them.  I will also pray for myself, that I can be more accepting and give more freely with my prayers so that we can all have the glory of God.

Written by
Kelly Dobyns

...FULLY RELY ON GOD...Thursday

4/16/15

Have you ever been thinking of the possibilities involved in something you might be hoping might happen. Maybe there are choices of how to proceed, and you are not sure what you need to do. Questions abound concerning which road to go down and where to begin. Have you relied on yourself only? Or do you seek help from people you think are strong or smart? Are you banking on your own strength to get you out of a problem or to move you to a goal? Are your choices even sinful?

Do you notice anything missing in this way of working on a problem? Where is God in this? What place have you given Him?

In Isaiah God warns the children of Israel against banking on anyone and anything to save them from things that they fear. He speaks to Isaiah saying…

Don’t put your trust in mere humans.

They are as frail as breath.

What good are they?

Isaiah 2:22

He further warns them...

3:1The Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,

will take away from Jerusalem and Judah

everything they depend on:

every bit of bread

and every drop of water,

2 all their heroes and soldiers,

judges and prophets,

fortune-tellers and elders,

3 army officers and high officials,

advisers, skilled craftsmen, and astrologers

…………..

3:8 For Jerusalem will stumble,and Judah will fall,

because they speak out against the LORD and refuse to obey him.

They provoke him to his face.

Isaiah 3:1-3,8

I know that there are times when I try to lean on my own understanding and power. Studying Isaiah has brought me an AHA moment. I have realized that to forget to add God into the equation is a big misstep. Such self-centered behavior is defeating. Nothing happens in the world and in life that is not allowed by God. His blessings abound, and I need to invite Him into my life, choices, and problems constantly. The children of Israel did not do that in the time of Isaiah and they were punished for their mistakes. It is also a sad fact that many people are not even aware that they need to turn to God. The result is that they attempt to do everything under their own steam. I believe that God just lets us reap what our behavior and reliance on Him sows…be it good or difficult.

Here is another scripture that has a wonderful promise. Have you ever noticed while you are flailing along trying to decide a course of action, that things start to happen that make clear which is the right way to turn. If you become sensitive to the things God is showing, you will be aware of what should be done at every turn.

I will answer them before they even call to me.

While they are still talking about their needs,
I will go ahead and answer their prayers! ~

Isaiah 65:24

I know that I must FULLY RELY ON GOD.

Written by
Corinne Mustafa

"God's Rich Goodness"...Wednesday

4/15/15

 

Sometimes we may get the idea that we have to wait until we get to heaven before we can really experience God's goodness. God's Word tells us that is just not so. 

His Word says in
Psalm 27:13... 

"I would have
lost heart, 

unless I had believed, 

that I would see 

the goodness
of the Lord,

 in the land
of the living."

 

David had a beautiful relationship with God and knew what His goodness was like. He was always making exuberant declarations through-out the Psalms and Psalm 27:13 was one of them.

 

God loves to pour out His goodness upon His sons and daughters. He came that we may have abundant life on earth. He is good to us always and delights in blessing us!

 

When those times of weariness come upon us and we feel as though we may lose heart, remember the declarations of David in Psalms. Believe that you WILL receive the goodness of the Lord right here on earth and rejoice in His Amazing Goodness!! 

 

In His Great Goodness, 

Sandy Billingham

                                 A song for this topic............

 

IT'S NOT OVER...Tuesday

4/14/15

The joys and disappointments do not need to be spelled out for the early and middle adulthood of the woman she had become. There was joy and there was pain. She often faced the realization that the life she was living though not totally pathetic, was not what she had planned.

I think you get the picture. You are at one of the stages shown in this picture. You may actually be in the senior stages of your life. At any age you have worked hard to be who you think God created you to be. In your days you have experienced joys and pain. You are beautiful. I am asking you to think of your life from the age of 18 on and see your successes in live. Then remember the things that did not happen that you had expected to come to fruition. Are you feeling like a failure or that it is too late for you to achieve the things you have hoped for.

This is not true. As Yogi Berra,  Hall of Fame baseball player and manager said "It's not over till it's over." This is true for life no matter what your age. Beauty can be different as one ages, but it is still there. In addition you have gained wisdom that you did not have in your 20's. 

Do not forget that God is with you leading, teaching, and growing you at every step of the way. Do not loose heart about the possibilities He is offering you.

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he,
I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4

Written by
Corinne Mustafa

TODAY, SHOW THAT YOU CARE...Monday

4/13/15

Tonight I am sharing a devotional for April 12 posted in the devotional book called Word for Today. We receive these books from our church, and they are filled with food for thought that can be  used for  daily consideration. Women's Focus Ministries hosted a retreat for 24 women this weekend and this was presented as part of our Sunday Morning Communion Service. It is very impactful.

Thank you for reading it.

__________________________________________________________

"This is my commandment,

 that you love one another as  I have loved you."

John 15:12

Take a deep breath, and hold it for a moment. Now exhale it. Where did it go? That single breath of air contains at least three nitrogen atoms that were inhaled by every person by everyone who has ever lived, including Leonardo da Vinci, Winston Churchill, and Ghandi. The dinosaurs actually breathed some of the same atoms as you took into your body.The air that you breathed today will actually circle the globe in the next twelve months, and everyone will breathe at least two or three of those atoms. 


That scientific fact dramatizes the connectedness between each of us. Just as we all share out chemistry with other members of the human family, so you can see that we are all interdependent. We're all affected either positively or negatively by the actions of each other. 

During the self-centered days of what used to be called the 'Me Generation,' it was common to hear people say, 'As long as I am not hurting anyone, it is nobody's business what I do.' 

Unfortunately, everything we do affects other  people, and there is no such thing as a completely independent act. The poet John Donne wrote, 'No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is the a piece of a continent, a piece of the main.' With that in mind read these two Scriptures...    

"A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you."

"Owe nothing to anyone--except for your obligation to love one another." 
Romans 13:8

That means you have an obligation today to show your care for others in some practical way.

Shared by

Corinne Mustafa