DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 11.13.21

HowCan a Man Be Just before God? “Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?” (Job9:1-2) Job was the most “just” (i.e., “righteous”) man of his age, according to the testimony of God Himself (Job1:8; 2:3), yet his friends insisted his terrible suffering had been sent by God because of his sins. He knew he was innocent of the sins of which they were accusing him, and he knew he had earnestly tried to be obedient and faithful to God. Yet, he alsoknew that he, like all men, had come far short of God’s holiness (Romans3:23). “I have sinned,” he confessed, “what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men?” (Job7:20). “Cause me to understand wherein I have erred” (Job6:24). And then comes the plaintive plea in our text: “How should a man be just with God?” There is, indeed, no way by which a man can make himself righteous before God, for he is even born with a sin nature, inherited from father Adam. “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse” (Job9:20). Yet God created man for His own glory (Isaiah43:7) and wants “all men to be saved” (1Timothy 2:4). The great enigma is, how can God justify unrighteousness in men and still be righteous Himself. The answer, of course, is that God, in Christ, has paid the price to make us righteous by dying for all our sins. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans5:8). “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians1:7). Even Job finally realized that God must somehow become his redeemer. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and...in my flesh shall I see God” (Job19:25-26). It is indeed wonderfully true that God can both “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans3:26). HMM ------------------------------------- Shoulda Christian Get Angry? “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of thejudgment” (Matthew5:22) There are a number of Scriptures that, taken alone, would indicate that a Christian should never get angry about anything. For example, note Ephesians 4:31: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger...be put away from you.” Yet, Jesus indicated only that anger “without a cause” was wrong and invited judgment. Many modern translations omit the phrase “without a cause” in this verse, but the phrase does occur in over 99.5% of all the Greek manuscripts and thus clearly should beretained. If anger were never permitted for a believer, it would contradict even the occasional example of Jesus Himself. “And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts” (Mark3:5). He was angered here by certain hypocrites among the Pharisees who were ready to condemn Him for healing a disabled man on the Sabbath. We are never justified in getting angry over some personal injury or insult to ourselves. This is implied in context in such verses as cited above (Colossians3:8, etc.). “Recompense to no man evil for evil...avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath” (Romans12:17, 19). But if we do get angry in spite of ourselves, we are commanded, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath” (Ephesians4:26). There may be some situations involving injury or insult to the name or work of Christ where anger is indeed “with cause.” Even then, however, God would warn us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James1:19), remembering that “vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans12:19). HMM ----------------------------- GodDoes Not Author Evil “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither temptethhe any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” (James 1:13-14) One of the often-used excuses for rejecting the God of the Bible is if God is omnipotent (as the Bible teaches), and since evil exists in the world (as everyone can see), then God must be the author of evil or incapable of preventing it. Either way, such reasoning insists, that kind of God is not worthy of worship. If that logic were accurate, then most of the foundational truths of Scripture should be rejected. The Bible insists that the whole of reality was initially “very good” (Genesis1:31) but was quickly marred by Lucifer’s lie and Adam’s rebellion (Genesis 3:14-17). The thrice-holy God (Isaiah6:3) has no pleasure in wickedness (Psalm 5:4), does not tempt any man with evil (James1:13), and loves righteousness and hates wickedness (Psalm 45:7). God does not cause evil. The Archenemy, Satan, is the father of untruth (John 8:44) and was the source of the deception of Eve (2Corinthians 11:3) and the rebellion of Adam that brought sin and death into the creation (Romans 5:12). The most precise description of the all-consuming character of the Creator God is that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Therecan be no impurity or inconsistency within the nature of the Godhead. The holy separateness of the Creator is such that no thing, no concept, no act, no thought can ever cause a break within the absolute light of our eternal God. HMM III ---------------------------------- Yahweh'sDesire “For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here willI dwell; for I have desired it.” (Psalm 132:13-14) In these two verses, we are told that the Lord (Yahweh) has desired Zion, which He has chosen. The Hebrew verb used twice for “desired” is awa and occurs in a specific form called the Piel stem, which to the Hebrew reader would have added an intensively strong meaning to its action. In other words, Yahweh deeply, passionately, and intensively desires Zion as a place for His habitation. So, what is this object of Yahweh’s intense desire? The name Zion is first used in the Bible for the pagan Jebusite fortress (“the stronghold of Zion”) in 2 Samuel 5:6-10 when David conquered Jerusalem and subsequently made it the capital of Israel.Thereafter, Zion was often equated with the City of David (Jerusalem) and was also used to refer to the inhabitants of Jerusalem or even the whole nation of God’s people of Israel. In the new covenant, we are given the full revelation of Zion following Christ’s death and resurrection: “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assemblyand church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24). It is this Zion of which we are now redeemed citizens that God deeply desires to make His habitation. Knowing this, let us look “for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews11:10) and “desire a better country, that is, an heavenly” (Hebrews 11:16). JPT -------------------------------- Enduring Satanic Attacks Ephesians 6:10-14 Every believer faces temptation. Take a moment to recall a particularly enticing situation involving something that would displease God. Did you realize you were involved in a satanic battle. The Devil is real. Scripture reveals that he leads an army of fallen angels and is prideful enough to think he can gain victory over God. By definition, a satanic attack is a deliberate assault upon an individual, which is designed to cause spiritual, physical,material, or emotional harm. Satan desires to thwart the Lord's purpose in believers' lives, to rob them of joy and peace, and ultimately to deny God the worship He receives through yielded followers. As in any war, knowing the enemy's plan helps us prepare for the attack. First, be aware that the battlefield takes place in our minds. To walk in a godly manner with Christ, we must first be sure that our thoughts are in submission to His Spirit. This takes daily surrender and time in God's Word. Second, Satan tempts us during vulnerable moments. Be cautious when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (This is often known as the H.A.L.T. warning). Third, he is deceptive;we won't recognize the trap as an evil scheme. Instead, it will seem good, and we'll likely wrestle with some sort of doubt. As Christians, we should walk closely with Jesus. Satan desires to lure us into destructive actions that rob us of God's plan for a good, full life. Stay connected to the Savior: read the Word, pray, and fellowship with other believers. These are weaponswe use against the Devil in spiritual war. ----------------------------------- When God Looks on Us with Favor Isaiah 66:1-2 Believers are always under the canopy of God’s grace and love. Nothing we do can change that. At the same time, our behavior and heart condition do determine whether we receive the fullness of His blessings. Today’s passage teaches us how to experience theFather’s favor. First, He desires that we have a contrite heart and a humble spirit (Ps. 51:17). For that to be the case, all aspects of our lives mustbe surrendered to Jesus. Yet some dreams, desires, and people are difficult to release into His hands. Anything we do not give over to His authority is evidence of pride, the exact opposite of what our Father wants in His children. Remember that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Lack of submission proves that we think our way is better than His plan. Second, God tells us to tremble at His Word (Isa. 66:2). Scripture—the unfolding revelation of Jesus Himself—is living and powerful toteach and transform us. Consider how we treat this treasure. Do we devote time each day to know what the Bible says and how to apply its principles? Do we hunger for more of the Word in our lives so we can know its Author better? One measure of our reverenceis obedience: to honor the Lord, we must obey Him. We all desire God’s favor. Are you living in a manner that positions you to receive His full blessings? Prayerfully consider whether you have submitted all areas of your life—from finances and health to relationships and work habits—to Jesus Christ. RecognizeHis authority in all things, and revere His Word. ------------------------------------ God's Ordered Authority 1 Samuel 15:1-23 God's plan for each one of us has our best interest in mind. His way leads to fullness of life. Yet He did not create us to be robots that blindly and lifelessly live their godly life. No, the Lord grants us the choice of whether or not to obey Him. Ourhuman nature tends to choose a self-centered path that turns away from God's authority. But in doing so, we miss His best for us. Consider the life of King Saul. God chose this man to be king and provided guidelines for him to follow. Though Saul knew the Lord's instructions, he chose to do things his own way. At times his sin was unquestionably deliberate, such as his attempt to kill David out of jealousy.At other times, however, his rebellion seemed less clear-cut. For example, despite God's order to "utterly destroy" the Amalekites and their animals, Saul spared the best of the herd, with the justification that they were "to sacrifice to the Lord" (1Sam. 15:3, 21). His disobedient choices cost him the throne and eventually led to his destruction. This man chose the road that satisfied his immediate fleshly desires, but as we know from history, the end result was hardly fulfilling. We can learn from Saul's mistakes.Partial obedience is actually disobedience. And any disobedience falls in the category of rebellion, which is sin. Each day, we face the same types of choices. Though the details are different, both large and small temptations lure us. We can live according to Christ's will, following His lead and listening for His voice. Or we can refuse. Choose today to live God'sway--which leads to fullness of life. ----------------------- Abounding in Thanksgiving in a World of Grumbling by Mike Pohlman Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. - Colossians2:6-7 My family and I just completed our first full week in our new home in Richmond, Virginia after leaving Los Angeles to begin my new job. And if I’m honest I cannot say I’ve been “abounding in thanksgiving” over the last several days. No. In fact, “aboundingin grumbling” may be the more accurate phrase to describe my disposition of late. I’ve grumbled about the weather, traffic, leaves, the movers and a myriad of other things petty and not-so-petty. None of this grumbling, however, has been constructive or justified.And, most importantly, it’s been sinful. To help combat this steady bombardment of grumbling I corralled our children the other night for a family time of thanksgiving. You’ve probably practiced this exercise many times as well: go from person-to-person and highlight things you’re thankful for(it’s tough to grumble when you pause to consider the many blessings in your life). ------------------------------------ No Matter What, God Is Still on the Throne By Debbie McDaniel “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19 He came home from school wearing his "I voted" sticker and slumped into the chair. My 6-year-old son, lover of all things sports-related, had just “voted” for the first time in his elementary school’s mock election - vote for your favorite team sport. Apparently, his choice was not the most popular. "Hey Noah, did you get to vote today?" I asked. "Yeah, I but didn't win," he answered with a defeated voice. "Well, did you vote for what you believed in?" Quietly and slowly, still thinking it through, he responded, "Yes." "Were you willing to take a risk to stand up for what mattered most to you?" He pulled off the round sticker from his shirt and examined it from all sides, "Yes. (long, dramatic sigh) But, I still don't like losing." And today, close to half of our nation may relate to those feelings. It’s never easy to lose. It's discouraging. Disappointing. You may feel defeated and wonder why it all didn't go your way. Or why others didn’t see things the way you did. Many will celebrate election results this evening. And, many others will not. Yet no matter which side of the race you’ve been on over these long months, this truth remains... every time we’re willing to have a voice, to take a stand for what we believein, we “Win.” And we can trust God with the results. The enemy is at work more than ever during these times. He will seek to divide believers and stir up strife and hate. Don’t fall for that trap. Whether it’s in election season or just daily life, we win when we do what God asks us to do. We win when we’re willing to live wisely. We win every time we choose to obey His word to the very best of our ability. There’s great freedom there. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from defeat. Freedom from anger and hate. Nothing has taken God by surprise. Not ever. He’s on the throne and Sovereign over all. He has a plan and is at work on behalf of His people, “for such a time as this.” Esther4:14 Our prayers matter, our voice matters. We can choose to move forward from here with grace. We can choose to stay involved, to have a voice, to be engaged, and maybe more than ever before, to make a difference in our nation. May we be ever faithful to pray for all those in authority, for the leaders of this land. May we be brave to speak with wisdom and discernment, and to live these days with hearts of compassion and love. May we be strong to follow God’s voice, even when it’snot the most popular choice in our culture. I was reminded this morning, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.” Proverbs21:1 God’s got this. He’s got us. He is powerful and able to do far more than we could ever imagine. --------------------------------- WhyGod Allows Choice �And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in lovedwelleth in God, and God in him.� (1John 4:16) It is absolutely clear that God is love (John3:16; 1 John 4:19). Therefore, many have suggested that such a unilateral love as is cited in the above texts would require that God eliminate any judgment for disobedience to His commands, or that He create such a condition that all humanity would naturallylove God as part of their basic personality. The apparent conflict is often repeated in the false logic �If God loves the world and is all powerful, why would He allow evil?� Simply put, the answer is this: God is love; God loves mankind; love requires that a choice be made; choice allows for the possiblerejection of God�s unilateral love. God, therefore, created humanity with the ability to positively respond to His love�or to consciously reject His offer of love. The simple truth of the Scriptures is inescapable. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christhis Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have notsinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1John 1:5-10) God allows for the possibility of evil so that human love may exist. HMM III ---------------------------------------------- Victory Over Unforgiveness Daniel 6 Immediately after teaching His followers to pray, Jesus gave a warning about allowing unforgiveness to reside in the heart. He said that those who refuse to forgive others won't be forgiven by the Father. Do not misunderstand Jesus' meaning here. Believers don't lose their salvation when they refuse to forgive. Rather, they break fellowship with God because their unrepentant attitude gets in the way of regular confession and repentance. The Lord cannot ignore sin, and His Spirit will bring wrong behavior to the believer'sattention until he or she deals with it. Forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart. Often people don't feel like being merciful to someone who has wronged them. But a resentful spirit grows into a terrible burden. The Lord knows that forgiveness is best, even when it is difficult. You won't deal with a sin until you see it as God does. So assume full responsibility for your unforgiving attitude, and acknowledge that it is a violation of His Word. Claim the divine mercy He offers, and ask Him to enable you to lay aside anger and resentment against the other person(s). As part of the decision to move forward in grace, make a habit of praying for those who hurt you. And if God so leads, seek their forgiveness for your wrong attitude. A bitter and resentful spirit doesn't fit who we are in Christ. Nor is it healthy to carry an angry attitude through life. That's why Scripture emphasizes the need to forgive. Choose to be liberated from your burden--Jesus promised to make us free when werelease our sins to Him (John 8:36). -------------------------- Are We Immune to Blessing? By Shawn McEvoy Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:3 Our company has a set of really great tickets to the local minor league baseball team, just three rows behind the home dugout. This past summer, I got to use them to take my son to his first game. My wife and I took Jordan and his pal Victor, watched themgorge on hot dogs and sno-cones while dancing hilariously to every song blared over the loudspeaker, and had a grand ol' time. Making the experience even richer was that the boys, who brought their baseball gloves, got not one... not two... but THREE baseballs that night! One was given by an older gentleman who had snagged a foul ball during batting practice. Another we caught ourselves.The third came when one of the fielders who had caught it as the final out of an inning tossed it into the crowd on his way back to the dugout. Of course, the moment that made me the most proud was when the boys, already with one ball each, decided that itwould be nice to give the third one to a kid who hadn't gotten a ball yet. It was hard not to get a little misty watching my son seek out a younger boy of a different race and ask if he'd like to have a ball. I just love baseball. ------------------------------- Quick to Anger - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. �James 1:20 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/quick-to-anger/- Listen Between June 2020, and May 2021, the number of road-rage incidents that lead to death or injury almost doubled, according to one analysis. We are so quick to anger. Yet the Bible tells us, �Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires� (James 1:19�20 NLT). Some people will explode and be angry, and then they�re over it. But then there are others who won�t have an outburst but instead will just seethe on the inside. It remindsme of this statement from Oswald Chambers: �The man who loses his temper quickest is the one who finds it quickest. The man you need to beware of is not the man who flares up, but the man who smoulders, who is vindictive and harbors vengeance.� The problem with a bitter and angry person is they�re never content to keep it to themselves. They want to spread it around. Instead of dealing with it, instead of goingto the person they�re angry with or have a conflict with and seeking to resolve the problem, they hold it on the inside. They allow their anger to dig in deeper, and that becomes a root of bitterness. But I�ve also come to realize there are some people who just love confrontations. And sadly, there are a lot of people like that in the church today. They�re always nitpicking,complaining, and arguing. On the other hand, those who are truly spiritual are not hypercritical. They�re gracious, compassionate, and loving people. So when someone seems to enjoy constantly running others down, it�s because something is wrong in their spiritual life. And don�t be surprised to find that the person whowhines the most and is critical of the smallest things in the lives of others is guilty of something far worse. ----------------------- ToEnd All Wars �And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords intoplowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.� (Isaiah2:4) It has been over 100 years since �The War to End All Wars� ended in victory for those who had �fought to make the world safe for democracy.� A celebration of thanksgiving followed, and a holiday was established to commemorate that great Armistice Day (now VeteransDay). However, an even greater war soon followed, only to be repeated by innumerable local wars and revolutions. Instead of a world of liberty and democracy, many of the world�s nations are now under the brutal heel of totalitarian dictatorships. With the threatof potential nuclear obliteration hanging over the world, the prophecy of Christ is being literally fulfilled: �Men�s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth� (Luke21:26). In the 25 centuries since our text was first uttered, there has been a war going on somewhere in the world at least 11 out of every 12 years, and it certainly seems unlikely that such a promise will ever be fulfilled. Yet it is God who has promised, and only He can accomplish it. �He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people� (our text for today). �Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end...The zeal of the LORD of hosts will performthis� (Isaiah9:7). When the Lord Jesus Christ comes again, �He shall speak peace unto the (nations): and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth� (Zechariah9:10). Finally, world peace will come, and Christ �shall reign for ever and ever� (Revelation11:15). HMM ------------------------------------- Soul-Sick - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. �Jeremiah 4:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/soul-sick/- Listen If you want to plant a garden, then you need to first clear the soil. You need to dig up the rocks, pull out the weeds, and prepare it for planting. We need to do the same with our hearts. For the seed of the Word of God to properly take root, we have to first clear the ground of things that would hinder its growth.Weeds of wickedness and roots of bitterness must come out. James tells us, �So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls� (1:21 NLT). And Jeremiah 4:3 says, �Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns� (NLT). Once that soil is broken up and cleared, then we are to receive God�s Word with humility. This means coming humbly and with an open heart to hear and apply God�s preciousWord. Instead of a hypercritical, already-heard-that attitude, we should approach with openness to what the Lord would say to us. If we do this, it will have a great effect in our lives. It�s also important to understand that in this context, James isn�t speaking of the salvation of our souls from eternal damnation. Rather, the phrase �save your souls� alsocould be translated �preserve and heal your soul� or �restore your soul.� In other words, if you allow the pollutants of evil into your life, then you will have a sick soul. Your refusal to obey the Word of God may not disqualify you as a Christian,but it certainly will disqualify you for spiritual rewards. God�s Word received is able to save our souls not only from damnation but also from damage. Don�t live your life with a damaged soul. Approach God�s Word with meekness,openness, and the recognition there is so much more to learn. --------------------------- TheNew Covenant �Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed foryou.� (Luke22:20) The Greek word diatheke, translated as both �testament� and �covenant,� occurs 33 times in the New Testament, 17 of which are in the book of Hebrews. The Hebrew word for �covenant� (berith) comes from a word meaning to �cut, or divide,� referringto the fact that blood had to be shed to bind the parties involved to the covenant. (See Genesis 15:10; Jeremiah 34:18-19.) God had made covenants with Abraham and Moses on the part of the people of Israel. He had kept His part of the agreement; but in each case the others involved �continued not in my covenant� (Hebrews8:9). But God, in His grace, has issued a new covenant. This covenant or testament is not unlike a human �last will and testament,� but there are some differences. He did not merely die, thereby enabling His children to inherit His fortune, but He is now �the mediator of a better covenant� (Hebrews8:6). He is the sacrifice whose death was necessary to make the covenant binding, and yet He is the �surety of a better testament� (Hebrews7:22). He cannot fail, and hence the new covenant cannot be done away with. Through His death, He not only has removed the penalty for our previous failures, but qualified us to receive the inheritance. �For this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, thatby means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator� (Hebrews9:15-16). �Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them� (Hebrews7:25). JDM ------------------------------- Are You Listening? by Ryan Duncan The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. � Proverbs 12:15 It�s common to hear Christians say, "Speak the truth with love," but what about listening? I once read the story of a young man who was struggling with a number of problems. He was depressed, his faith was waning, and his parents eventually convinced him to sit down with their Church's pastor. The day of the appointment, the pastor walked in and, before the young man could even open his mouth, began to speak about "How the grace of God was sufficientfor all things." "By the end of the meeting I knew a lot about him and what he believed, but he knew absolutely nothing about me," the young man would later recall. Sadly, one of the most overlooked commands in the Bible is that we are to listen to others. Too often, in our zeal to share the word of Christ with others, we end up trampling them in platitudes and redundant scriptures. But listening can be a powerful tool. Listening builds understanding, diminishes fear, and can be comfortingin a time of sorrow. Look at this passage from the book of James, My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. � James1:19-25 Listening is the first step in acting out the scriptures, not speaking. The Church has the potential to do so much good in the world, to share the love of Christ with so many people. However, in order to do this we must first stop talking, sit quietly, andget to know them. We need to hear their stories, understand their hurts, empathize with their anger, and then, when they have nothing else to say, that is when we speak our truth. It's time to start using our ears before we use our words. Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you been listening to others? Take a moment and consider how you are reflecting Christ. --------------------------- Truth in Action - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But don�t just listen to God�s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. �James 1:22 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/truth-in-action/- Listen Let�s imagine for a moment that you�re very hungry, so you go into a restaurant and ask for a menu. You look it over and carefully read the descriptions of the various thingsthey�re serving. But is that going to satisfy your hunger? Will you be able to put the menu down and say, �Thank you. I feel much better now�? Or what if you memorized the contents of every single item on the menu? You know it so well that you could stand in front of the restaurant and say, �Ask me whatever youwant. I�ve memorized the menu.� That�s fine, but it won�t fill your stomach. You need to order the food and then eat it. It�s the same thing when it comes to the Word of God. We not only need to hear it, but we also need to do it. We need to apply what we�ve heard. James wrote, �But don�t just listen to God�s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don�t obey, itis like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like� (James 1:22�24 NLT). In the original language, the act of looking in a mirror speaks of an attentive scrutiny. This is a picture of someone who sees their reflection in a mirror, realizes thatsomething needs to be done, but doesn�t act on it. When we hear the Word of God, we should allow God�s Holy Spirit to take that truth and bring it home to our hearts. Truth acted on brings more truth. But failure to respondto the truth ultimately will result in the loss of truth. God�s Word becomes a millstone if we don�t make it a milestone. VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM