For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
Arrogance and pride, thinking you are better than others, are as much a sin as any other evil act. We are all God’s creatures created by Him to serve His purposes in this world.
God has great goodness stored up for those who fear Him and turn to Him for protection. He will keep us safe from those who wish us harm. We may think that we are cut off from God, but if we cry out to Him He will hear us and answer our call. No matter how desperate the situation seems God is able, and willing, to come to our rescue. Let us put our trust in the Lord. He will protect those who are loyal to Him.
Paul tells us that we can better serve God if we remain single. However, the ability to remain single and not give in to sexual sins is not given to everyone. God intends for most people to get married. We should each (those of us who are married) work to satisfy the sexual urges of our spouse. Further Paul tells us that if we are married to a fellow believer, we must stay married, or if we cannot remain with our spouse we must remain single. It is a failure of the modern Church that we fail to emphasize this fact as much as we do other sexual sins.
Paul makes an important caveat to his teaching about divorce and remarriage. He tells us that if a believer is married to a non-believer (a situation which should only come about if someone becomes a believer after they were married) they should not leave, or separate from, that unbeliever. However, if the unbeliever leaves them, they are freed from the marriage. It is the failure of the Church, which means it is our failure, to distinguish between these two separate types of divorce which is at the root of its(our) failure to be a witness to the world on the issue of sexual immorality.
When Nehemiah heard the state of affairs in Jerusalem, he mourned how bad things were. However, he did not just feel sadness about the situation, he cried out to God with prayer and fasting for guidance. After “days” of fasting and prayer, Nehemiah felt called to do more about the situation in Jerusalem than just fast and pray. He then asked God for success in doing what he felt called to do. Nehemiah did not just feel depressed about the circumstances in Jerusalem, he sought God’s guidance and used his gifts to address the situation.
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he discovered there was opposition among some of the regional officials. In the face of this opposition, Nehemiah did his own evaluation of the state of affairs in secret before revealing his intentions to the leaders of the returned exiles. Because he had done his homework and knew the extent of the work to be done, the leaders of the returned exiles embraced his plan enthusiastically.
Nehemiah’s approach is one we should study when we feel called to address a situation which is tugging at our heart-strings. Start by seeking God’s guidance with prayer and fasting. Follow this up with a plan to address the problem, including a timetable and a budget. Obtain the government permissions necessary, if any. Make an assessment of the opposition and the actual on the ground situation. Recruit the assistance of those with a vested interest in the success of the project. Finally break the task up into pieces that were within the abilities of those who had agreed to aid you.