Devotion
Serve the Lord your God and be blessed
David Jacobs
I enjoy reading about psychology, especially social psychology, in my free time. One subject that has been studied closely is obedience. How can people follow along when a group is telling them to do something they know is not right? The answer is simple: people generally do what they are told. The more people or higher the authority, the more likely it is that they will obey.
Perhaps the most famous study on obedience was conducted by Stanley Milgram. In his study, subjects are told that they are the "teacher" and another group is the "learner." Learners are asked a series of questions and teachers are told to punish them by administering an electric shock if the answer is wrong. The learners are part of the experiment group and are not actually being shocked, nor can the teachers see them. The learners intentionally answer many questions wrong, and the teachers are told to increase the power of the electric shock to 450 volts, a potentially lethal amount. Surely people would not kill a person that they do not know simply for the sake of an experiment, right? Wrong. More than 65% of subjects were willing to go that high, and all of them were willing to go to 300 volts (a dangerous shock level). What does this tell us about people and how does it relate to God?
People will generally do what they are told. If they are told to do bad things, like in the Holocaust, they will commit atrocities. If they are told to do good things, like in the verses above, they will do good things. They will fight to not bear false witness, to uphold justice, and not follow a multitude to do evil. Humans are obedient in general, so these commandments from God are necessary and important.
Prayer
If He had told us to do evil things, we would probably do them! Conforming and being obedient is often viewed as a bad thing by society, but conforming and being obedient to God and Christianity is certainly not. Follow God's word closely and you will make the world a better place and enjoy your just reward in Heaven.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
