March 16, 2010

Today's reading: Judges 9, 10, 11; Psalm 16, 46, 76, 106, 136; Proverbs 16

Judges 9:48, "And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done."

I wish I had a dollar for ever time I heard someone say, "Do as I say and not as I do." This is just an excuse for not doing right. We need people today that will stand up and as as the last phrase of our passage today states, "What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done." Paul said it this way in the New Testament in I Corinthians 11:1, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

We have so many negative examples today. As you watch the news most of all you see is bad news. One man said it this way, "You get two minutes of bad commercials and twenty-eight minutes of bad news." All you see is this so called important person getting into trouble for some transgression and that important person that is in trouble for such and such a transgression. It is horrible.

What we need are some men and women that will take a stand for God and live a life that is pleasing and acceptable to Him no matter the cost. Easily said; but, not so easily done. I know. For nearly thirty-four years now I have been on this voyage we call the Christian life. I have not always lived my life in such a way as to please Christ and I deeply regret it. The good news is that every day is another change to wipe the slate clean and start over with a renewed obedience.

In Judges 11:31, "Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." we see a man named Jephthah made what we would call a rash vow. We know later that he did fulfill this vow. The first through the door was his only daughter. This is very sad. To the credit of Jephthah he did what he vowed but it cost him his daughter.

How about you and I? Would you and I be considered a person of our word? I hope that you and I will be examples today that others can follow and God will be pleased with. Will you?