Devotion
An uneven split
David Jacobs
I used to run a discussion group with one of my best friends. This group would meet once a week and discuss various topics that were important to us, and the two of us gained a bit of notoriety due to the success of the group. My friend left for a while and I had to run the group on my own, and when he came back, I was so busy with other things that I was not as involved as I was previously. There were multiple occasions where we argued about who was more important to the group and who was "in charge" of the group. We decided to "agree to disagree" and didn't talk about the group dynamics anymore. The damage had been done, however, and our friendship and the group suffered as a result of our foolish pride.
King Solomon was known through all of Israel for his wisdom. This story is perhaps the best example of his wisdom at work, with two prostitutes coming to him claiming to be the mother of a child. Neither woman will back off of their claims, so Solomon asks for a sword to cut the child in two. One woman asks that Solomon not do this and instead gives the baby to the other woman. As a result, Solomon feels that she is the rightful mother or at the very least, cares about the child more than the other woman.
When I read this story I think about the useless bickering between my friend and I. If only we had Solomon there to mediate! All of us could use a wise mediator like Solomon from time to time. Better yet, all of us can become a wise mediator like Solomon! Through careful study of the word of God, diligent practice, and experience, we will know the best way to act in nearly any situation. As Christians, the "Golden Rule" is "Do to others what you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) In my opinion, a wiser commandment comes from the book of John: "Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:12) If we approach any dispute from this angle, we will always come from a place of love, thinking of how the Lord and his son, Jesus Christ, would act.
Prayer
Think of a dispute that you heard or were a part of. With John 15:12 in mind, do you think you would act wisely?
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
