A Devotional Look at the Book #552

A Devotional Look at the Book #552

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Personal and National Sin: -- Psalm 119:94 personal perils and hardships feel the urgency of rescue. Mental depression or physical oppression are hardships; requiring His Hand of comfort and direction – Joshua 1:5

Good Morning

A few years back I was attending fire fighter training. All of us were required to go through a smoke filled structure in SCBA gear (breathing tanks). Our heads were covered with white cloth (simulating thick smoke) and we were made to be disorientated by having to spin around until our sense of direction was confused. Inside the structure, there were fallen pieces of wood and ceiling, furniture and many obstructions. At times the way was so narrow that we had to remove our breathing gear from our back and pushed on the floor in front of us. Then on the other side of the obstacle; put it back on properly. Removing the air pack was at end of the training session, I had to lay flat and slide through the space and push the canister in front of me which also protected me from any obstacle that may be blocking my way. It seemed to me like this event was never going to end, and then I heard someone say, “Stand up Jesse!” I said, “I can't!” their reply was, “why not, don't you see the light, your in the clear now?” I said, “No!” and the instructors said, “Then open your eyes!” At some point, I felt as if my eyes were useless in this environment so I closed them tightly. I had crawled about twenty feet further than I needed to. We all had a good laugh. Later when I was thinking through this event I was reminded that there are many times in life that we have the blinders on and when the going gets tougher, we tighten up our vision. We live in tough times, and many of us are walking about with our eyes shut tightly. Psalm 119:18 Let God restore your sight and brighten those things that look so dim or dire in the world around us! This is a matter of purpose in life and not a matter to laugh at!

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:12-13 – I have been thinking (could be dangerous) however; every epistle is to a church with the exceptions of Timothy, Titus and Philemon. Yet even these epistles are called Pastoral Epistles related to church doctrine. So I am seeing a broader application of truth in this way. While it is necessary that each of us are to be a good steward over our eternal estate in Christ; it is likewise necessary that our church relationship with our church family be of a same purpose too.

Religion then is nothing more than appearance and is not of the heart. The heart response of the individual and the heart response of the church must be the same and if it is not then as the apostle first said in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 that the church and the people are nothing more than carnal (fleshly) babes in Christ. It does matter how we act and react to one another; but the main thing is that what we do should always be pleasing to God. If I treat you without regard to your need; then I have failed; yet if the church does the same, then it too has failed. Our testimony to the people around us has become a stumbling block.

We have a personal relationship with God that will spill over into our corporate relationship with our church family. Our personal lives will reveal to our brothers and sisters within the body our true spiritual colors. When I first was saved in 1975 there were many folks who knew and understood the bond of Brotherly love, but it seems that many have forgotten the command to let, brotherly love continue… Hebrews 13:1-9. So then; churches and saints suffer, being estranged from the solid doctrines of excellent power and grace.