The Right of Succession

January 18

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your

father and mother—which is the first commandment with a prom-

ise—that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on the

earth.

Ephesians 6:1–3

The right of succession is a powerful thing. It tells little boys and girls that

freedom is just around the corner. Here is but one example.

The three boys had built a tree house for the ages. But they had gone against

their parents’ admonition to build it low for safety, on the first or second limb,

which was sissy stuff as far as they were concerned.

Instead, they built the tree house as high as they could. Besides, this gave

them a better vantage point from which to watch the neighborhood!

The floor was made of two-by-fours and plywood leftover from recent

construction on a nearby house. The sidewalls were made of interwoven twine

with no gaps big enough to fall through.

But young boys become bored quickly. And seeking a challenge, they began

climbing in from above, over the walls. Unexpectedly, one of the neighbor boys

fell, breaking his arm.

Their disobedience had caused serious injury. It also brought about the

dismantling of the tree house.

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Disobedience has consequences. And most little boys don’t think much about

their impulses. That’s why God created the fifth commandment: “Listen to

Dad and Mom. They’re not out to ruin your day; they’re just trying to keep you

from killing yourselves!” (Slightly paraphrased).

Quite honestly, disobedience isn’t limited to youth. Society tells us, “Grab

the gusto in life!” “Get what you can when you can get it!” and “Take care of

numero uno!” Grown-ups, as well as children, tend to think they know what’s

best and, in disobedience to God, reap death and destruction.

Paul in Ephesians reiterates God’s promise that if we are obedient: God

will bless us. Not necessarily with millions of dollars and perfect health, but we

will reap something more desirable: peace, love, and a clear conscience.

Prayer

“Lord, speak to me about each choice and decision

in my life. Help me be obedient to You out of love.

Teach me to not give in to the excitement and

allure of this world. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Let’s Go Fishin’!

January 17

But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on

the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Matthew 5:39

Billy stood by as Cindy pounded mercilessly on Ryan. She had Ryan’s arms

pinned to the ground with her knees, taunting him, “So how’s it feel now,

tough guy?”

Cindy, sixteen, beautiful, and a tomboy, had come around the corner of

the house to find Ryan punching Billy in the face, and Billy’s nose bleeding.

Hollering, “Get off my brother!” she dove, tackling Ryan and rolling on top of

him. Ryan wanted to hit back, but he’d been raised to never hit a girl and to

turn the other cheek. Right now, he didn’t think much of his parent’s teach-

ing—this hurt!

He covered up the best he could, but Cindy still managed to land a few.

So much for her ever being my girlfriend! he thought. Besides, Billy and I fight like

this all the time. What’s the big deal?! When Cindy finally let him up, Ryan’s arms

ached from defending himself.

But true to how ten-year-olds view such matters, less than five minutes

later, he and Billy grabbed their fishing poles and headed for the creek, recent

events forgotten.

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Kids are able to take things in stride without placing blame or harboring

resentment. Ryan would never forget that beating. With fondness, laughter,

and exaggerated animation, Ryan told and retold the story to his children as a

way of leading by example, holding with the philosophy that “Boys do not hit

girls; little or big ones.”

Violence breeds violence; it never solves problems. Though turning the

other cheek is not an easy thing to do, Christ managed to do it. He lovingly

endured horrible beatings for me and you. With Jesus as our example, how

then, shall we live?

 

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, it doesn’t feel natural to back down when

confronted. I get embarrassed and want to strike back! Help

me do what You did when they beat You; help me understand

the true meaning of turning the other cheek. Amen.”

 Praise and Cursing

January 16

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this

should not be.

James 3:10

Brian vigorously shook his hand, cursing, as if by doing so it would alleviate the

pain in his thumb, the one he’d just smashed with that blasted hammer.

“Sorry, Lord,” he said sheepishly. “It just slipped.” 

Nowadays, he didn’t slip as often as he used to. Nevertheless, his vulgar language was something he needed to work on. He hadn’t realized how trashy his language had become until three years ago when his four-year-old son had sworn in public, using God’s name in vain, along with some other embarrassing language.

Unfortunately, it had been said in front of Brian’s aunt who was visiting the family. The epitome of a lady, his aunt had attempted to alleviate everyone’s embarrassment by saying, “Oh, the things kids learn in school these days.” But Brian had to admit that Bruce had picked up the language at home.

After all, he wasn’t even in school yet!

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Brian attended church on a regular basis, and he truly believed he was living a

godly life. But when we use our own moral compass to guide ourselves, we will

end up off course.

God knows our weaknesses and loves us in spite of them. We are to be the

best representative of Christ we can. And that requires conscious effort.

James wrote much about our tongues and how they can create serious

issues. Our words will either lead others toward Christ or away from Him. We

need to be conscious of the way we speak and the words we use.

Swearing does not bring glory to God. Consistency is important, not only

when in public, but especially when we are by ourselves. It requires spiritual

discipline to be a good example. There are no occasions in which we are totally

alone; God always hears what we say. Being consistent begins with being con-

scious of Whose we are.

 

Prayer

“Loving Father, I need Your strength. I try to deny that it’s a

big deal when I swear. Help me understand the effect my words

have on others. Show me the truth of my actions. Help me to

be a better representation of Your Son. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 On Sale, Forgiveness!

January 15

When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;

when we are slandered, we answer kindly.

1 Corinthians 4:12, 13

Carol silently prayed for peace as she headed for her car. She hadn’t spoken

what was on her mind when the sales manager had belittled her in front of

everyone in the store. Knowing she had done the right thing by not making a

scene didn’t alleviate her frustration. And to top it off, her manager was wrong!

Carol wasn’t the one who had placed the incorrect sales price on the shirt rack.

She knew who was responsible, but chose to remain silent.

This past week’s Bible study had been about forgiveness. She knew it was

the right thing to do, but the last thing she wanted to do right now was forgive

that man! But forgiving the manager wasn’t about him; it was about her. If she

chose to remain angry, she would open the door to resentment and bitter-

ness. Experience had taught her how miserable that would be. “Give me the

desire to forgive Connor, Lord. I don’t want to right now, but you know what

really happened. Help me be content in knowing that.” It wasn’t immediate,

but peace would come.

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When we are injured by others, we have two choices: allow it to harden our

heart or turn it over to God. In choosing the former, we reap anger and resent-

ment; bitterness takes over our emotional mindset. Left unresolved, it will turn

us inside out, and we lose any chance we might have at peace. Though we may

have a right to our anger, we must understand that by hanging on to that right,

we become ill—emotionally and physically.

But by giving up our right to our anger and by turning things over to God

and allowing Him to bring resolution in our heart, God can handle the prob-

lem, and we benefit from His peace.

It’s our choice; we can receive peace or reap illness of the soul. Only by

giving up our rights can we overcome and answer kindly when wronged.

Prayer

“Lord, I don’t have the ability to forgive without Your help. I’m

guilty of offending You and others, and I want to be forgiven.

So please give me the desire to forgive. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Finish Well!

January 14

Forgetting what is behind … I press on toward the goal to win the

prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13, 14

The young man was pleased with the progress he had made. The model of his

latest architectural masterpiece was taking shape! It wouldn’t be long before he

could present the project to the marketing department. He thought back to the

break he’d been given three years ago.

He had landed the job with this firm, had his own office, and even had an

expense account. He had become dependable, earning their trust and thanks by

producing exceptional buildings with beautiful renderings and visual stimula-

tion. His designs were second to none; his talents were much sought after in

the construction industry.

But what many people were unaware of was that Jason had been in prison.

There had been a time in his life that he had broken the law. He had paid his

debt and now worked hard to build a better life for himself and his family.

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We are sometimes judged, justly or unjustly, by our mistakes. What matters

more than the mistakes of our past is how we finish. We are unable to person-

ally atone for the past; only the blood of Christ has that power. But by making

changes and right choices in the pattern of our lives, things can change for the

better.

People tend to judge with historical data, not affording grace to those who

have made mistakes. In Jason’s case, they knew of his criminal record and still

chose to extend him an opportunity. Like that firm, God sees our full potential

and withholds judgment until we finish.

Throughout biblical history, we see evidence of esteemed men and women

making mistakes yet finishing well: Abraham, Isaac, David, Rahab, and the

Samaritan woman, even Mary Magdalene. All of them broke God’s law, yet

each changed and finished well. We have the ability to do the same. By forget-

ting the past and pressing forward in Christ Jesus, we too can finish well.

Prayer

“Judge of the universe, thank You for calling me in

Your direction. I get so bogged down when I focus on

my past failures. Help me focus on the right course in

life and keep my eyes pointed in the right direction

with my head lifted up. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”