Devotion
The message and The World
Frances Taylor
It's impossible to please everyone and that's especially true when you're trying to change things. The message of Jesus called for change. When we bring the same message to the world, we can expect problems. We might wonder why anyone would be against justice and love, or compassion and forgiveness, but we see evidence all the time of people who try to resist. It's because we all have ideas about who should have justice or mercy or who should be forgiven. There is a need for some people to see punishment that seems more like revenge than justice. And it seems that no one is interested in mercy! Jesus talked about forgiveness, going the extra mile, not returning violence with violence. Does that look like the community you live in? If so, I want to move there because it doesn't look like mine. When we try to turn this around, we are not met with encouragement. I guess we shouldn't be surprised when people turn against the prophets of our time. And it also shouldn't surprise us that people don't want to get involved and keep their heads low because they don't want to get hurt. To spread the good news takes courage, but if we persevere, eventually there will be people who will listen and the world will become a more loving place.
Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to work for change and bring more of the kingdom alive in our world. Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
