By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Jehovah comforts all Christians whenever they find themselves in a difficult situation. Whether you are dealing with financial, personal, or professional (or a combination of them all) issues, know that God is there to comfort you. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV): Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Like other gifts that God affords us, He expects us to follow His pattern when interacting with others. Scripture shows the manner in which we judge others, we will also be judged (Matthew 7:1-6). We also see the manner in which we forgive others, we will be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). Because God comforts us, He expects us to comfort others in their time of need. Just as with the gift of forgiveness, God gives so much to us that we should feel compelled to share that gift with others. Romans 12:14-21 (NKJV): Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. You will notice in Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, he did not qualify who Christians were supposed to comfort. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul reiterates in his letter to the church in Rome that Christians are expected to comfort everyone (even those who persecute them). Christians are commanded to never repay evil with evil, but to always repay evil with good. This task is too much for any person to endure on their own, but if you lean on God, you will find it easier than you think. A humble heart will remember Jesus Christ forgave and endured more for you than you will ever endure for others. A humble heart will also acknowledge you do not have the ability to provide as great of a benefit as God does. Christians can only forgive in the sense that they can show mercy to others when they are wronged. We do not have the ability to wipe away sins as the forgiveness of Jesus Christ does. In the end, our comfort requires much less effort and provides a much smaller benefit than God’s comfort. Therefore, remain humble and understand the gifts that God showers on you, you should shower on others in His name.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. The characteristics and traits of God are as majestic as they are vast. We could talk about His love, His compassion, or His wrath. We could study His patience and desire for all to be saved. It can be overwhelming to think about God and all He has to offer. With the time we have, we will focus on His promises and the need for His followers to follow Him. Psalm 33:4 (NIV): "For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” God is consistent in His promises. He is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega; He is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. The fact we can rely on His word should bring us comfort in the worst of situations. God is never going to change His mind and if we obey Him, we can be confident we will remain in His good graces. I like to think of two criminals being questioned separately. The interrogator is telling each of them the first one to testify against the other will have the lighter sentence. You can see the concern on each of their faces as they consider the likelihood of their partner remaining true. Christians do not have that problem. If they tell the truth in all circumstances, God will reward them for their actions. Ephesians 4:14-16 (NKJV): that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. The apostle Paul knows it is not always advantageous to speak the truth, and that can result in well-meaning people altering the word of God. However, altering the word of God means you are no longer speaking the word. It means you have separated yourself from Him and created another body with you as the head. Paul emphasizes the fact that Christians are bound to the head of Christ. It is Christ who sets the example, and it is obedience to Him that creates growth. The imagery of being joined and knit together by our individual contributions, yet the contribution benefits the group is powerful. When we compromise the truth for personal gain, we are negatively affecting the entire body. By trusting in the promises of God, we can remain confident obedience is always the right answer. Even if the situation looks dim, compromising the word of God is never the answer. Be confident your heavenly advocate will always advocate for you (Hebrews 13:5).
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. There was a point in time when we all spoke the same language and had the ability to accomplish great things together. It is interesting to think of a time when communication was clear and everyone was able to understand what the other desired. While speaking the same language helped, their cohesiveness was more than that; they had agreement in language, desire, and aspiration. Genesis 11:4 (ESV): Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” They were all interesting in making a name for themselves. This desire remains true for many of us today; we want to make a better name for ourselves more than we want to further God’s name. It is God that blesses each of us to accomplish great things, but he is not going to bless us at the risk of losing our soul. Throughout Scripture, we see God will do whatever is necessary to preserve our soul from damnation. Humans have a natural ability to take credit for God’s blessing, so God tries to help us by keeping us humble. Genesis 11:6-7 (ESV): And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” We see another example of this in the battle between Israel and the Midianites (Judges 7:2-8). Midian started with 22,000 soldiers, but God knew there were too many. Jehovah said if He gave them victory with 22,000 soldiers, Israel would boast and say, “my own hand has saved me” (Judges 7:2). God knew he had to create an environment where everyone attributed their success to God. That is why God only allowed Midian to take 300 Israelite soldiers into battle with him. Similar to the Tower of Babel, God did not want to allow success at the expense of their soul. Sometimes our life isn’t exactly as we wanted, but it always exactly as we need. We go through tough times, not because God doesn’t like us, but because He loves. God has turned what our enemies have created for our demise into sometime used for our blessing. In a world full of evil, God has tuned the sufferings caused by sin into blessing of hope (Romans 5:3-4). With a focus on salvation, Jesus put it best; what benefit is it to gain the whole world and lose our soul (Mark 8:36)?
Proverbs is full of practical insight and divine wisdom that can be used to better one’s life. On the practical side, it teaches us how to sustain and repair relationships; as well as things like work ethic and prosperity. In relation to divine wisdom, we can learn about love, the majesty of God and the benefits of being a believer versus a nonbeliever. When learning about unbelievers, we often find ourselves learning about how difficult it is for evil people to understand God and His justice. Proverbs 28:5 (ESV): Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. There are multiple reasons why evil people are ineffective when it comes to understanding and obeying God. The Bible speaks on the hardening of the heart that takes place when one lives a life of willful sin. This hardening of the heart makes it difficult for someone to believe the truth, even when the truth is the only available option. Liken it to the Pharaoh when Moses and Aaron told him God wanted him to let His people go (Exodus 9:1). To the average person, we probably find it hard to comprehend why anyone would continue to disobey the will of God when His justice is so absolute. For someone to need ten plagues and the destruction of most of his army to understand God’s justice, it only confirms the difficulty evil people encounter. Psalms 25:14 (NIV): The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. Believers are able to understand God’s justice because they seek to understand Him and God rewards their diligence. 1 Corinthians 2:11 says; “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God”. It is the Holy Spirit of God that inspired the creation of the Bible by the hands of men. Without the Bible we would not know or understand nearly as much as we do. Jesus Christ told His disciples that the Spirit of Truth will guide them into all the truth, “for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). Unfortunately, evil people who willfully sin will begin to lose their ability to discern right and wrong. They will lose their ability to see the light and understand the truth. As Isaiah said, God will give them over to their evil desires by blinding their eyes and hardening their hearts (Isaiah 44:18). Let us be diligent in our studies to make sure we understand God and His will.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Israel finds herself in captivity, yet Micah speaks with unyielding confidence. As a prophet of God, Micah recognizes that God is righteous and His will must be followed. Micah 7:8-9 (NKJV): Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness. Similar to a parent with their child or an employee with their supervisor; if rules and consequences are set forth, breaking the rules will trigger the consequence. Micah is confident because God continues to be his light and he identifies that God is honoring His word. At times, God keeping His word will bestow blessings on us; such as His promise to never flood the earth in the manner of the great flood again (Genesis 9:11). Other times, God keeping His word will enact consequences on those who disobey His will. There are many passages in the Old Testament where God is clear that He will punish the guilty and wrongdoers (Nah. 1:3, Jer. 30:11). Ephesians 1:18 (ESV): having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Micah is honest in his assessment of the situation. He states he has sinned, disobeyed the will of God and that has provoked God’s wrath. He is clear of his understanding that obedience to God will put him back in God’s favor. Another interesting thing to note is the fact that Micah is shadowing the birth of Jesus Christ as the savior of the world. Jesus speaks of Himself as the “light of the world” and those who follow Him must avoid the darkness and have a “light of life” (John 8:12). Micah knows our lives will be lost until the promised Messiah comes and advocates on our behalf (John 14:6, 1 John 2:1). Once Jesus Christ came and died for the sins of the world, “He will bring me forth to the light” as long as we live a life of obedience and righteousness. We cannot consider ourselves a child of God if we live a duel life of saint and willful sinner. God continues to keep His word; so let us be as confident as Micah when it comes to understanding God’s will and let us be obedient enough to follow it.
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Dean Road
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