Stepping out with God on our own is the most satisfying as well as important thing we can ever do!
(Today's Scripture readings: Jeremiah 9:1-10:25; Psalm 118:5-9; Proverbs 27:7; Colossians 3:1-25)
Today we read that as "the elect of God" we are considered "holy and beloved" by God (Colossians 3:12). In the mad rush of the world in which we live we may not see ourselves as holy or beloved. However, the premise of the world is not based on truth, but is designed to separate us from truth and entangle us in that which is false. Yet, we can enjoy the peace of truth when we open our Bibles and read the very Word of God.
(I hope you are reading and studying these passages on your own. What I receive is directed toward my needs as God sees them. I am more than happy to share this experience and you are more than welcome to look over my shoulder, but God knows your needs and is eager to meet them in your one on one relationship with Him as you read and apply the pages of His Word.)
Jeremiah chapter 9, mentions the sin of deception and its consequences of devastation that will follow. In it, Jeremiah describes "an assembly of treacherous men" whose tongues are "bent for lies" (v. 2-3). He says in verse 3, that "They are not valiant for the truth on the earth", leaving me with the question of whether or not I am "valiant" for the truth. The next statement explains either the reason they are not valiant for the truth or gives evidence of it: "For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me, says the Lord". Of course, Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life". Evidently, if we don't know Him we cannot have an appreciation and respect for the truth--we cannot "be valiant" for the truth. "Through deceit they refuse to know Me, says the Lord" (v. 6). And, in verse 14, "but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts". (Jeremiah will write in chapter 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?") In light of Revelation 8:11, I find it interesting that God says He will feed this people with "wormwood". Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet"--- he witnessed the consequences his people were reaping for the wickedness and deceitfulness that stemmed from their evil hearts.
Today's passage in Colossians contains vital instructions regarding what we should do as believers if we "(have) a complaint against another" (v. 12-15). This is a beautiful passage that is easy to read, however unless we apply it we will miss the beautiful results. Prayerful meditation will help us understand how God wants us to apply this in our lives. Paul instructs the elect of God to "put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another". He tells us first of all to "put on" mercy. When we start to go out into the cold we probably put on a coat that prepares us for the weather. When we go into a situation where we have a complaint against someone, the first thing we need to do is put on our coat of "tender mercies" in preparation for dealing with our complaint. He says to add to this--kindness. Showing kindness to another person softens our heart toward them--we have to experience consideration for them from the depths of our heart or our act (of kindness) will be hollow.
Next, he says to put on humility. Our complaints usually stem from pride, but once we remember how much we need God's mercy and forgiveness and then actually put on humility, our complaint is probably going to seem less important. Meekness is next---not weakness, but recognizing that while we may be right, we are going to choose to step back and withhold what we have the power and perhaps the right to demand or to do. Then we are going to exercise patience with our fellow man (or woman) and bear with them. (Hopefully, by this time we will be able to accompany it with a smile.) At this point if we have prayerfully applied ourselves to this passage, we may be able to view them in light of our own humanity and will be able to forgive them for not living up to our expectations.
Paul then adds, "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection" (v. 14)--the finishing touch! The results? "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful" (v. 15). When we love someone and the peace of God rules in our heart, it will be natural to experience thankfulness for them. Love does cover a multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8) and none of us are perfect. We may also find ourselves faced with a complaint against us. Many complaints are petty and once we start applying this passage, we may reach this conclusion. Nevertheless, using this passage as a plan for dealing with a complaint assures us that we are addressing it God's way. (We may find that we have successfully dealt with our complaint before we get through the entire list.) Some issues may need more attention, however, getting on this path will no doubt pave the way to reconciliation and forgiveness regardless of the problem. I can imagine God's pleasure in seeing His children follow His guidelines! Holy and beloved, indeed!
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