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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Come, all you beasts of the field, come
and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
Israel’s watchmen seek their own gain.
Isaiah 56:9,
10a, 11b
This ends this
reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Lacking God’s vision, knowledge,
and understanding. Complacency, lethargy, and laziness. Never being satisfied
with what God has provided. Seeking to go one’s own way separate from the Lord.
All indicators of wicked living, of
one who chooses sin over righteousness.
Today, we add another and it
derives from a person’s drive to gain more and more in life, sometimes no
matter what it takes. Don’t confuse this with the indicator of never being
satisfied although that indicator is a contributing factor to this one. No,
this particular matter is one that is grounded in one’s personal motivation to
advance themselves.
Note here that the object of focus
is on the person. Israel’s watchmen are bent on seeking their own gain and the
Lord does not favor it. We know that because He is calling on the beasts of the
field and forest to devour a person who chooses consuming self centeredness as
their approach to life.
There is no concern here for the
gain or good of others. For this brand of person, it’s all about me and in its
worst form, this wicked attitude of living leads to an impulse to finish first,
regardless of how far one has to go. It’s why we see top athletes cheat in
order to gain some competitive advantage. It’s why we find people back stabbing
and brown nosing in the workplace, attempts to try and edge out their
co-workers for pay or prestige. It’s why we see marital relationships break
apart and disintegrate because one partner is more bent on their own gain than
caring about their mate.
Don’t read this devotion as an
indictment on people who try and do their best. The Lord wants us to make the
best use of the time, talent, and treasure He provides us but He also wants us
to do so in accordance with His will and way.
In other words, if we are going to
avoid falling into the mistake of sinfully pursuing our own gain, we must make
the Lord the object of our focus, not ourselves. When we do this, the Lord will
lead us to what is right and just and fair for His purposes are always perfect
and work things to His glory and honor when we carry them out in obedience.
So where do you place your focus in
life? Is it on your own gains or the gains the Lord wants you to pursue,
advancements that He ordains and favors?
I hope after reading this devotion,
you’ll see that there is only one right way to go and that is the follow the
desires of the Lord. Thank goodness we all have the greatest role model ever in
this regard in Jesus Christ.
As Christians, if we live as He
did, then we can be assured that we will not display this indicator of wicked
living but instead reveal a life defined by righteousness.
Amen.
In
Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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