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Cathy’s Thoughts for the Week
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SUNDAY
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A Christian must keep the faith, but not to them self
"...that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with
the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know
that I am the LORD."
(Exodus 10:2)
God told Moses that his miraculous experiences with Pharaoh should be retold to
his descendants. What stories Moses had to tell! Living out one of the greatest
dramas in Biblical history, he witnessed events few people would ever see. It is
important to tell our children about God’s work in our past and to help them see
what he is doing right now. What are the turning points in your life where God
intervened? What is God doing for you now? Your stories will form the foundation
of your children’s belief in God.
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MONDAY
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When a brave man/woman takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened
...The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the
king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of
Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have
you let the boys live?"
The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like
Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive."
So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and
became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them
families of their own.
(Exodus 1:17-21)
Against Pharaoh’s orders, the midwives spared the Hebrew babies. Their faith in
God gave them the courage to take a stand for what they knew was right. In this
situation, disobeying the authority was proper. God does not expect us to obey
those in authority when they ask us to disobey him of his Word. The Bible is
filled with examples of those who were willing to sacrifice their very lives in
order to obey God or save others. Esther and Mordecai (Esther 3:2; 4:13-16) and
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:16-18) are some of the people who took
a bold stand for what was right. Whole nations can be caught up in immorality
(racial, hared, slavery, prison cruelty); thus following the majority or the
authority is not always right. Whenever we are ordered to disobey God’s Word, we
must "obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
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TUESDAY
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If God is your partner, make your plans large
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city,
spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know
what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a
little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord’s
will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such
boasting is evil.
(James 4:13-16)
It is good to have goals, but goals will disappoint us if we leave God out of
them. There is no point in making plans as though God does not exist, because
the future is in his hands. What would you like to be doing ten years from now?
One year from now? Tomorrow? How will you react if God steps in and rearranges
your plans? Plan ahead, but hold your plans loosely. Put God’s desires at the
center of your planning; he will never disappoint you.
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WEDNESDAY
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Whenever a man is ready to uncover his sins, God is always ready to cover
them
"Come now, let us reason together,"
say the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
(Isaiah 1:18)
Scarlet, or crimson was the color of a deep-red permanent dye, and its deep
stain was virtually impossible to remove from clothing. The bloodstained hands
of the murderers are probably in view here (see Isaiah 1:15, 21). The stain of
sin seems equally permanent, but God can remove sin's stain from our lives as he
promised to do for the Israelites. We don't have to go through life permanently
soiled. God's Word assures us that if we are willing and obedient, Christ will
forgive and remove our most indelible stains (Psalm 51:7).
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THURSDAY
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The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than
saved by criticism
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs
abuse.
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man and he will love
you.
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add
to his learning.
"The fear of the LORD
is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is
understanding..."
(Proverbs 9:7-10)
Are you a mocker or a wise person? You can tell by the way you respond to
criticism. Instead of tossing back a quick put-down or clever retort when
rebuked, listen to what is being said. Learn from your critics; this is the path
to wisdom. Wisdom begins with knowing God. He gives insight into living because
he created life. To know God is not just to know the facts about him, but to
stand in awe of him and have a relationship with him. Do you really want to be
wise? Get to know God better and better. (see James 1:5; 2nd Peter 1:2-4 for
more on how to become wise.)
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FRIDAY
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Life was a lot simpler when we honored fathers and mothers rather than
worldly goods
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
"Honor you father and mother" - which is the first commandment with a promise -
"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them
up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
(Ephesians 6:1-4)
There is a difference between obeying and honoring. To obey
means to do as one is told; to honor means to respect and love. Children are not
commanded to disobey God in obeying their parents. Adults children are not asked
to be, subservient to domineering parents. Children are to obey while under
their parents' care, but the responsibility to honor parents is for life.
If our faith in Christ is real, it will usually prove itself
at home, in our relationships with those who know us best. Children and parents
have a responsibility to each other. Children should honor their parents even if
the parents are demanding and unfair. Parents should care gently for their
children, even if the children are disobedient and unpleasant. Ideally, of
course, Christian parents and Christian children will relate to each other with
thoughtfulness and love. This will happen if both parents and children put the
others' interests above their own - this is, if they submit to one another.
Some societies honor their elders. They respect their wisdom,
defer to their authority, and pay attention to their comfort and happiness. This
is how Christians should act. Where elders are respected, long life is a
blessing, not a burden to them.
The purpose of parental discipline is to help children grow,
not to exasperate and provoke them to anger or discouragement (see also
Colossians 3:21). Parenting is not easy - it takes lots of patience to raise
children in a loving, Christ-honoring manner. But frustration and anger should
not be causes for discipline. Instead, parents should act in love, treating
their children as Jesus treats the people he loves. This is vital to children's
development and to their understand of what Christ is like.
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SATURDAY
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Consider it all joy when you encounter
various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance
Some time later God tested Abraham.
He said to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
(Genesis 22:1)
God tested Abraham, not to trip him and watch him fall, but to deepen his
capacity to obey God and thus to develop his character. Just as fire refines
ore to extract precious metals, God refines us through difficult
circumstances. When we are tested we can complain, or we can try to see how
God is stretching us to develop our character.
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The Life Application Study Bible - NIV -
Zondervan
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