DAILY DEVOTION: 05/15/2019

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When I do my daily devotions, sometimes God will lead me to read things in books, and even on the internet for more clarification. God says that we WILL give an account for everything we do, especially if it is not so kind to others. Jesus goes on to say that "when we do it to the least of these my brethren, you do it unto me" or in some passages it says "when we DO NOT do it to the least of these my brethren...when we know that it is right to do it, we DO NOT do it to Him." I find it amazing when I read where someone (whether a friend, or loved one) complains that they are being treated so badly, or even gossiped about, and think it is not fair. Yet... I wonder why can't those same people see that they have (on several occasions) done the same things to their friends, and loved ones, as well. Jesus says: "Let a man not be fooled in their heart, for God is not mocked. What a man sows, he reaps. If he sows mercy, he will reap mercy. If he sows judgment, he will reap judgment.” He could go on to say: If you reject someone, you will be rejected. If you ignore someone, you will be ignored. As well as… If you bless someone, you will be blessed. We will usually justify ourselves by saying: I have so many friends, and family that love me. I do this kind thing for someone, and I do that kind thing for someone. But remember… As I just mentioned… Jesus also said: “If you HAVE NOT done it to the least of these by brethren, you HAVE NOT done it to me.” Anyone who is not important to us, God would consider those to be the “least” in our lives. And He takes how we treat them very seriously. I have been evaluating my life over the last few years, and I posed this question to God... "Did every negative thing that happened to me…was it my fault?" The answer was and still is: No. God placed a law on this earth called the law of reciprocity, and because of this…there are two things happening to us every day. It’s called reaping and sowing. So whether we are receiving a blessing, or a hardship in our life…God impressed upon me to ask this question: “Am I reaping, or are they sowing?” Because we ARE doing one and/or the other. If we are reaping not such a pleasant experience…and we are honest with ourselves, and ask God if we brought this on ourselves… Whether we admit it to others or not, God will bring those individuals, and/or circumstances to our thoughts to let us know, that yes…we are reaping our harvest, because of something cruel we did to someone else, and/or being dishonest with an employer/individual. It also applies if we get huge blessings. He will remind us of the times we did something nice for someone else, even if no one else knew about it, but you and God. At the same time… Not all bad things that happen to us are because of something we did wrong. Just like not all good blessings that happen, is because we were such wonderful people. God clearly says that He “rains on the just and unjust”. This is why we have to be careful that we don’t get caught up thinking that because we have money, a great home, a good job, leadership positions, popularity…etc., this means that God approves of everything we do. Blessings DO NOT always mean we received an "A" on God's report card. At the same time: we need to be careful not to judge others, and say that because their life turned upside down, and ended up devastated, that they must have done something wrong, and deserved it…because this too is also not always the case. Jesus reminds us that the way we judge others, He WILL also judge us the same way. Our good fortunes could have come because we inherited it, or married into it, or even was lucky enough to find a good job, and/or start a business that went well. Don’t get me wrong. Working hard can represent God’s blessing for what we have accomplished, but we need to acknowledge that it is only by His grace were we allowed to succeed in those achievements. Regardless of the mistakes we make...in Jesus eyes, no one ever merits rejection, or complete annihilation...even though this happens to many people every day. When Jesus was asked by his disciples how many times should we forgive someone, they suggested seven times? But Jesus answered: "No...seventy times seven". Meaning... You keep on forgiving, as many times as it takes. I am so glad that Jesus offers us unlimited forgiveness, and a fresh new start every day. For He says: “That His mercies are new every morning…” Over time... I've learned to forgive. I've learned to let go of the anger, even though there is still a little more work to be done on the inside of me. I will be the first one to admit it. But each opportunity that God gives me to wake up another day, and enjoy life…it is one more day that I feel less guilty about something from my past; regardless of whether or not people are speaking, or not speaking to me; and/or if my circumstances have completely changed. I know that I have dealt with the demons (not literally…LOL) inside of me. I know and I am still learning about God’s grace. I know that I can stand before Him with more of a clearer conscience, than I could have ever done before. I still have a few fears to deal with… I still have a few struggles to get through… I still have some hurts I have to get past… But the point is…I’m progressing. And that is all God asks us to do. To just keep on keeping on... I came across this quote (see above photo) that I thought was quite profound. It really spoke volumes. For me…it is just one more clarification of what Jesus says about, and thinks about me. …that I am still valuable to Him, if not to anyone else.