Devotion
No means mo!
David Jacobs
The world is starting to shed a bit more light on the dark plague that is sexual abuse and rape. Abusive behavior of men that has been tolerated for most of human existence is finally beginning to be considered inappropriate and immoral. Unfortunately it is a problem that has existed for as long as there has been recorded history, and it seems it is only now getting the attention it deserves. Women are often blamed for being the victims of rape. "She shouldn't have been there", "she should have known better", "she knew what kind of man he is", "she should not be wearing that", and "boys will be boys", are all excuses that I have heard in response to the sexual abuse scandals in Hollywood. The problem will persist until we change the attitudes of people thinking these things.
These verses tell a disgusting story, once again involving a son of David. Another of David's sons, Absalom, will soon conspire to overthrow and kill his father, but in these verses, Absalom's sister Tamar is raped by her half-brother, Amnon. There is more than one guilty party here, for Amnon's friend, Jonadab, initially hatches the plan. Amnon forces his half-sister, a virgin, to sleep with him, and is then disgusted by her, ignoring her pleas not to send him away, knowing the shame that it will bring the two of them. This is only the beginning of this story, because later in this chapter, Absalom plots his revenge and eventually kills his brother, Amnon.
I once again think about David's role in this story: considering the story of Bathsheba, he did not set the best male role model for his sons. This story sounds like it could be in a tabloid newspaper in modern times, so the problems have remained the same for literally thousands of years. The way that the wrongdoers behave in these verses, namely, the men, is not so different from the shaming culture that persists today.
Prayer
We can make a difference. We can learn from the sinful ways of those before us and create a new and safer society. It starts with us acknowledging that the way things were and the way things currently are is wrong. Remember the Ten Commandments; remember the teachings of Christ; remember the horror stories in these verses and in modern society. Then, and only then, will people like Amnon listen to Tamar when she implores him not to do this wicked thing. No means no.
Night Prayer
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Inspiration
Christ died for our sins when we were weak and feeble. We did not deserve to be saved and never realized we needed His merciful salvation. This act says something special about God. He knows what we need before we do, and He loves us enough to complete such a selfless act without expecting anything in return. He did not wait around for us to become wiser or more worthy of His grace because His unconditional love is precious, selfless, and pure.
Prayer
Dear God, we are thankful for Your grace and mercy. You saved us before we knew we needed saving, and You love us beyond our understanding. We happily surrender our sinful nature to serve You. We love You because You first loved us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Devotion
Rejoice in Your Youth
Frances Taylor
Ecclesiastes is an interesting book to read. The theme seems to be that all is vanity. In this passage the young are advised to remember that God watches over us all and all our actions are subject to his judgment. If you continue reading in chapter 12, you will find that the youth is being warned that he will someday be old with all the infirmities that this will bring. We need to rejoice in every day we are given and not waste them. Don't take your youth for granted and spend them doing evil. How often have you heard someone excuse the young by saying that he is just sowing his wild oats. There really is no such thing. There is no excusing bad behavior because someone is young.
Our moral compass has become skewed in recent years and it seems that there are no moral boundaries. Adultery, hooking-up, pornography, sexual harassment and abuse are normal and even celebrated! Both men and women are looked at as sexual objects to be used instead of ...
