Tag: Character

Digging in Deeper: Hebrews 12:5-6

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“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him, for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

The believers who received the letter of Hebrews had a hard life. They were part of a movement that was new and unpopular and even considered by some to be an atheistic, cannibalistic cult. They faced economic hardship, social ostracism, and outright persecution on a regular basis. Their former friends who were Jews wouldn’t have anything to do with them anymore and the Roman government fed them to the lions in the arena. And, as we saw last time, the author here said the best way to handle all of this was to consider it to be the discipline of a loving father. What should they—and we—do with that? 

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Morning Musing: Ephesians 4:31-32 Part 1

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“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
– ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:31-32‬‬ (ESV – Read the chapter) 

Why be good? Why do something kind for another person who may not be able to return the favor? That’s a question that seems more relevant than ever in our increasingly polarized culture. More and more today people who are different from one another don’t actually know each other at all and are more likely to think of “the other” as the enemy rather than as a fellow human being who happens to believe differently about someone issue than we do. Little good is coming of that. But, if we are going to make any progress toward changing it, we’ve got to have an answer to this question: Why be good? 

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Digging in Deeper: 1 Samuel 16:6-7

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“When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord ‘s anointed is before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'” (ESV – Read the chapter)‬‬

When God had Samuel anoint Saul as king of Israel, He gave them someone who absolutely looked the part of king. He was handsome and tall—a full head taller than anyone else around him. Now that Samuel had been sent to anoint another young man to be Israel’s king, the first potential candidate Samuel sees looks the part as well. But, far from having learned his lesson the first time, Samuel is ready to anoint Eliab on the spot. Just before he does, though, God whispers in his ear that this is not the guy. Read the rest…

Morning Musings: Judges 19:12

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“And his master said to him, ‘We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

This judgment on the part of the Levite is fraught with irony.  He doesn’t want to stay with these foreigners because of how his party might be received.  Instead, he insists on traveling a bit further at a time of day that was no longer safe for traveling, so that his party could find shelter among their own people.  And yet, when they arrive in Gibeah, all hell breaks loose. Read the rest…

Morning Musings: Judges 14:4

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“His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines.  At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Certainly God can help us by working with or even through us.  But did you know that He can help us and the people around us by working in spite of us?  He can use our character flaws and failings to His glory. Read the rest…