Congratulations to Michelle! She is the winner of the December “Bible in a Year” Sign Up drawing. She’ll receive a copy of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney.
You also might be interested in
Last fall the leadership team at our church met to plan out the following year. We talked about goals, scheduled events, and budgeting issues. Most people understand that planning is important. Sadly, even evil men and women spend time planning to do evil. But, what if we could make another kind of plan, a plan to do right rather than wrong, a "spiritual obedience plan," if you will? As I thought about this subject, it brought to mind parachuting. When a parachutist jumps out of a plane, he first wants to know that his parachute was packed properly and in working order. But, even then, he knows that things can go wrong. So, there is a plan "B," a reserve parachute. In a way, a spiritual obedience plan can be both. It can guide us through the normal tests and temptations of life, help us to form new habits, and because it is written out, it can serve as that reserve parachute when emotions are running high. So, what might it involve, how can we make one, and could it actually help us grow and steady us in tough times?
Sin makes a mess of our lives. And many times we are miserable about the consequences of our sinful choices: a broken relationship, financial cost, punishment for bad behavior, loss of respect. But sorrow over consequences isn't necessarily godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow may involve emotional distress, fear, anger, and even self-abasement. But its goal is the removal of consequences. Just as it did with Saul in today's reading, it can, actually, lead to disqualification instead of restoration. Godly sorrow, on the other hand, involves something else. So, how can we know the difference?
Do you look around and see wicked people doing fine ... even prospering? Have you ever thought, "Why bother doing what is right?!" or "I've been good for nothing!" Those were the Psalmist's thoughts. Psalm 73 has a powerful message for every believer who has ever struggled with those kinds of thoughts and feelings about wicked people. And speaking of wicked people, we'll read about a grandmother so evil she had her own grandchildren murdered. We'll, also, consider the influence wives and mothers can have on their children, grandchildren, and the world around them ... for good or for evil. And read about the foolishness of judging when you only hear one side of the story and the danger we run of taking sides without knowing the facts.
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.