What I love about Psalm 57 is that, even though David is in peril for his very life, and cries out to God about his circumstances, he quickly reigns his thoughts in, choosing to focus on God and His glory rather than his trial.
What a great reminder for me. What are we focused on? Ourselves and our momentary afflictions, or God and things of eternity?
In Acts we see Paul exercising wise judgment when he agrees to the suggestions of the Jewish Christian leadership. As Rayburn says.....
Here is Paul doing cheerfully what we always resent doing, proving to folk who mistrust us that we have not done the things we are accused of!.....
Isn't it true that in our sinful perversity we are always getting this the wrong way round? We draw a line in the dirt concerning many things about which we ought to be flexible. And then we tolerate in the church what is nothing less than infidelity to Christ.....
We are inflexible when bending is called for and pliable when rigidity is required.
Knowing when to dig in and when to give in is a large part of Christian wisdom. Paul had that wisdom and it was a large part of the secret of his great influence. He did not unnecessarily divide or offend, but he took the gospel and his own calling so seriously that people could not help but take him seriously when he spoke!...
Flexibility without a determined loyalty to the Christian calling is just spinelessness and lack of conviction. Inflexible loyalty to principle without a caring concern for others that is demonstrated in a willingness to meet them, wherever possible, on their terms is pride and willfulness.
What we need to be is both and each at the right time. Stubbornly loyal to our calling as Christians and always willing to surrender our own will, whenever we can, if we might be helpful to others.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Psalms 60-62; Acts 22
2 comments:
As much as the Jewish people wanted to kill Paul, they at the same time had great respect for him. This is shown in how the whole crowd quited down as soon as Paul was about to speak. Moments earlier the crowd that was after Paul was so loud the court proceedings had to be moved away from the large crowds and into a smaller area. But Paul asked for a chance to speak to the crowd, and when he was about to speak the angry crowd became silent, in respect.
Paul may not have been popular, the gospel message he preached asked people to change their ways. Change isn't usually fun, but in this case it's totally worth it. The crowd here knew Paul lived what he preached, and for this they respected him. Whether they liked him or not, they wanted to hear what he had to say, because he lived what he preached.
10 My God in his steadfast love[h] will meet me;
God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
God meets us wherever we are and will help us overcome everything.
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