The Irony of Not Being Humble..

The major point in the book of Obadiah is the survival of a nation or group of people depends on its humility before God. We are never to gloat over the misfortunes of people. If you do, retribution usually follows in the form of irony. The attitude you display in someone else’s demise reveals the condition of your heart in relation to your walk with God. God resists the proud, often times than not, in repaying evil deeds with those same evil deeds falling back on their own heads. Humility is the right response to this kind of tragedy. For God gives grace to the humble.

“Because of the violence you didto your close relatives in Israel,you will be filled with shameand destroyed forever.11 When they were invaded,you stood aloof, refusing to help them.Foreign invaders carried off their wealthand cast lots to divide up Jerusalem,but you acted like one of Israel’s enemies. 12 “You should not have gloated when they exiled your relatives to distant lands.You should not have rejoiced when the people of Judah suffered such misfortune.You should not have spoken arrogantly in that terrible time of trouble.13 You should not have plundered the land of Israel when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have gloated over their destruction when they were suffering such calamity.You should not have seized their wealth when they were suffering such calamity.14 You should not have stood at the crossroads,killing those who tried to escape.You should not have captured the survivorsand handed them over in their terrible time of trouble. Edom Destroyed, Israel Restored 15 “The day is near when I, the Lord,will judge all godless nations!As you have done to Israel,so it will be done to you.All your evil deedswill fall back on your own heads. Obadiah 1:10-15

Remember God in Our Past….

When we are down and distraught or depressed, we need to remember God in our past, and go to Him now.

I am losing all hope;I am paralyzed with fear.5 I remember the days of old.I ponder all Your great works and think about what You have done.6 I lift my hands to You in prayer.I thirst for You as parched land thirsts for rain. Psalms 143:4-6

The Role Jesus Plays….

One common attribute all believers possess is the fact that we are all sinners, no one is innocent before God. This attitude helps shape our thoughts for the day. It keeps us humble, compassionate towards others, and accountable to God. The only difference between a saved believer and an unsaved unbeliever is the role Jesus plays in their life.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;listen to my plea!Answer me because You are faithful and righteous.2 Don’t put Your servant on trial,for no one is innocent before You. Psalms 143:1-2

True Confidence…

True confidence comes from the Lord. Only He can give the peace that surpasses all understanding. Knowing you are in the safest possible place, when you are in the will of God, beings a security like no other. The world longs for this kind of completeness, yet it looks everywhere except the One place it can find it. Point someone to Jesus today, they just might welcome the gift.

But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel, ”says the Lord. 9 “For I will give the command and will shake Israel along with the other nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, yet not one true kernel will be lost. Amos 9:8c-9

Who Is God Really Concerned About….

When people think the Israelites are the only special people, chosen by God, set apart, and are privileged, they are only half right. Why do I say this? In Amos chapter 9 there is a verse that raises question to Israel’s exclusivity to God. God may have chosen Israel to record His story, but His heart is for all people. Yes, Israel is special, but not better than other people who are faithful to God. Think about all the people in the Bible who were not Jewish, Who God rescued and honored. Rehab, the prostitute, from Jericho. Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David, was a Moabitess (enemy of God). Naman, a Syrian, Who God cured of leprosy. The Canaanite woman who Jesus referred to as a dog, had her daughter healed. Get the point. God is not for specific races, or groups, He’s concerned with individual people. Then made right with God through repentance, collectively form the only Group God is truly concerned about, the Church.

7 “Are you Israelites more important to Me than the Ethiopians?” asks the Lord. “I brought Israel out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and led the Arameans out of Kir. Amos 9:7

Famine in America….

When I think about the absence of truth in society today, I wonder how much of it is believers’ fault and how much of it is God decision to withhold it? It says in Amos chapter 8 that God sent a famine to the land of Israel. This wasn’t a famine of food or drink, but a famine of hearing His Word. When God gets to the point of granting unbelievers their wishes of not hearing His Word, we all suffer. Never forget this.

You can’t wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless. You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. Amos 8:5

11 “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land–not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11

Always Enemies….

There are two kinds of people: righteous and wicked, i.e. saved and lost. We all start out as wicked (lost), enemies of God. When we are redeemed through repentance and God’s grace, we become righteous (saved). Believers aren’t any better than the wicked, just better off, because God uses righteous people to carry out His eternal plan, and they are rewarded with His blessings. Yes, God does use wicked people to carry out His will at times, but they don’t benefit from it like the righteous do. They will always be eternal enemies. They will always oppose each other. The concern for the believers is that they don’t confuse showing compassion with sugar coating truth. Truly righteous people know what sin is, and they know the only remedy for it is truth found in the Gospel. If you truly care for another’s soul, you will never compromise or distort the whole truth of the Gospel. Like lions and hyenas, the righteous and the wicked will always be enemies, and the only reconciliation possible is through the power of God.

27 The righteous despise the unjust; the wicked despise the godly. Proverbs 29:27