The Devotional - A Look at the Book #792

by Jesse Abel

A Word from Papa “J”

 

Just passing through the intersection of a busy town can be alarming. The ambulance or fire truck, the elderly crossing in your path or a child on a skateboard and then as if this were not enough your way takes you into the countryside. The deer, the squirrel or the wandering puppy; you have the need to stay alert and remember your only passing through. Luke 21:20-28

 

Good Morning

Ever find yourself in a dangerous, or life threatening moment? No doubt that if you are past the age of twenty four hours you have. When my second child was born I was waiting at that window where the nursing staff brings the newborns for their first public viewing. I was reading a notice addressed to the new fathers and it read. “Fathers when you take your baby home in a few days, remember that last year in the United States 125 babies did not make it home, but died in car crashes. Please! Drive home safely!” That was in 1962.

In any year that is a sad story and along with all of the sadness in this world we are given the opportunity to forgive and to move on. There are many people in this world who… by choice, refuse to forgive and refuse to move on. These folks are bitter minded and they hold positions of authority, drive our school buses, do landscaping, operate machinery, fly planes and are found in our homes and pews at various churches all across this land.

Want I am saying is this… if you are not one of them, then you do rub shoulders with them daily. Bitter people do not have to be someone who suffered the death of a loved one, I simply used the “notice” of the past to kick start my thoughts. Bitterness can happen to people whose marriage has failed or whose son or daughter has gone the way of Balaam or the Nicolaitans as in Revelation 2:12-17.

Bitterness defiles everything and everyone that comes in contact with it. In Hebrews 12:15 the writer warns us that bitterness is a root of corruption that causes people to fall short of the grace of God and if you are bitter you may be saying just now, “Bah” who needs this grace, my gut can handle it. Please take another moment and read the next two verses, 16 and 17. Bitterness leads to sexual immorality, profane conduct and selfish behavior, take a moment… are you there yet?

Bitterness also leads people to a place of no return. At some point a bitter person will realize the waste and seek to inherit that which was destroyed. The Holy Word of God says that there is a point in time when what could have been good and glorious will not be available even when sought for diligently and with tears. Do you ask; “why”? Hebrews 12:1-14 was not taken seriously.