“And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.” (Acts 28:4-5)
I found this amazing, because Paul *was* a murderer. But he was also saved by the grace of God, and that made the difference.
"And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way." Judges 2:19
Following God is up to the individual, not just the leader. If we only do what's right when a leader is directing us to do right (whether parent, pastor, or even a peer leader in groups or situations), what will happen when we stand on our own?
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Mark 7:21-23
How well do we truly understand our heart? How often do we yield to the evil of our heart? God has saved our soul, but the struggle of our natural flesh is still there, and if we do not yield ourselves to God, our heart will try to take over. It is a dangerous thing to pretend that we are above yielding to the wickedness of our heart (after all, pride itself is in that list!).
She obeyed and gave her offering, but I doubt she truly realized how God was using her obedience -- as a death-anointing. Nor did she obey for millions to hear her story -- yet they have. We never know how God will use our obedience to His leading, our sacrifices yielded to Him.
Do you usually read your Bible in the morning or evening?
Thank you so much for these scripture posts! They are such an encouragement! Especially #1 & #4. Great food for thought. I normally do my Bible reading in the morning. Easier to focus (for me) and we get so busy during the day.
ReplyDeleteGod bless!