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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Our focus passage reminds us to always act from our love and compassion for those around us. We should have these qualities in our hearts. King Solomon, the smartest man in the world, penned these words. We have times where it is difficult to react in love to our surroundiings, but that is how we are to react.
In our 21Century world, we need to have compassion on those who become ‘burnt out’ about things of the Lord, the church, or the world. During any given week we hear of health issues, personal issues, and various kinds of trouble people endure. As people of God, we can only respond with compassion.
Sometime we hear of conditions that bring heartbreak to a family. It might a story of a wayward child or an unfaithful spouse. We still have to respond with compassion. We need learn to react with care and concern, even to the point of not grimacing or acting taken aback by what we hear.
When we talk, our voices should be well-modulated. We should choose our words carefully. We also have to honor confidences. When a person in distress tells us something, it ishould go no further, unless the incident involves abuse.
When we accept Jesus into our hearts. We become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) As we learn of God and of His Son, we find we have need to ask for the Lord’s guidance as we strive to live for Him.Jesus had compassion for the woman caught in adultery. The 5,000 who heard Him speak received food because of the Master’s love for them. He gave sage guidance when He spoke of the Golden Rule because of His affinity toward all who need to find Him.
The Woman Caught in Adultery
Jesus didn’t say, tsk, tsk, tsk, to the woman caught in adultery. He asked where her accusers were.
They had left. He tells her that he doesn’t condemn her and tells her go and not sin any more.
The Sermon on the Mount
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the disciples that the merciful are blessed because they will receive mercy. What Jesus says “. . . defines attitudes and values that enable the believer to experience God’s blessings.”(1.)
The Golden Rule
In times past, children were taught the Golden Rule-“So in everything, do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.” (Matthew 7:12 NIV) In our “Me” generation, we see variations of this guidance. It is our duty, as children of God to stand for Him and teach this model of compassion to those who have not heard of Him- of any age, child or adult. We really have no excuse for not doing it.
Dear Lord: Please help us to speak with compassion, to act with tenderness, and to learn to love those around us in spite of our feelings about their behavior. We ask this be done out of Your grace for us and for those to whom we speak. We will give you the praise. In the name of Jesus, we pray. AMEN
(1.) 1.) The Discovery Study Bible, Zondervan, © 2004 p. 1253
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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