A Devotional Look at the Book #538

A Devotional Look at the Book #538

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

The stolen nickel on the nightstand: Has opportunity to end up in the piggy bank; years later when the five year old is accountable the seed of strict discipline will reap laughter and singing according to Psalm 126:1-6.

A DAY IN THE PAST, THE PRESENT OR THE FUTURE

There was a day on one of the submarines I was on when things were calm and peaceful; we were just entering the Atlantic heading West through the Straits of Gibraltar. As we began to turn to the North and make our way to England the Sonar Tech reported; “Torpedo in the water” then he added… this is not a drill! The Officer of the Deck ordered emergency deep and the Captain showed up in the control room. He replaced the Officer of the Deck with words like; “This is the Captain; I have the Con” He order the ship to full flank speed to the depth of one thousand feet and he also order for evasion canisters to be deployed. These four missile like flasks contained noises that sound like our submarine so the torpedo became confused as to which noise was the real submarine and we escaped the jaws of the enemy. Here is the point! Having never read Psalm 124 as a new believer of just a couple of years that when I opened my Bible to find comfort; it was this Psalm that provided exactly what I needed since it explained exactly what had just happened to us as though God were there with us and He was. The remembrance of this moment it time always fills me with overwhelming joy.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:15-24 – I am sure that you have noticed as I have that the apostle Paul; as with most of the writers of the New Testament, write in first person accounts of what God is doing in their lives. The Holy Bible is personal; not only with the writers but also to those who read the words. Since God is the Author of the written word then He to has a personal interest in all messages. Even though God is often the second voice; sort of behind the scene motivation, He is the main reason the writers of scripture are faithful to write. In other words it is God who is faithful to fulfill Paul’s travel plans and ours as well and so our words should always be discipline with truth.

Truth demands that our “yes” is always yes and that our “no” is always no! Otherwise how will the promises of God stand if not on this firm foundation? Confidence in God requires that our relationship with Him is one of personal inner action with Him. Mainly, this is why I write as I do. This is not to say that I have some special dispensation with God, thus I speak. Yet I am saying that we who believe in Jesus as the scripture mandates must have this same daily message having a “yes and no” foundation of standing on the promises of God who anointed us and sealed us in the Holy Spirit.

So we all have the opportunity of going to a group of people; friendly or foe and speak of how God is working in our lives. Sometimes this requires restraint by not expressing dominion over the faith of someone and sometimes it requires boldness with messages that are weighty as in 2 Corinthians 10:10, but in every case the yes must be yes and no must be no as required.