Passage of the Day:
If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! 11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. 12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? 13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. 14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off, Proverbs 24:10-14.
Reflection:
Today’s featured passage brings me back to my coaching days. I can recall times when my baseball team struggled to recover from one bad inning in the field which often cost us the game. When I addressed this team in the dugout between innings, heads were down, shoulders shrugged and the energy to fight back was gone. I wish I had a copy of the wise saying in verse 10 back then. Unfortunately, the first sign of adversity causes most Christians to run and hide rather than face conflict head on. If you want to grow in your faith like the earthly brother of Jesus, embrace every time of trouble as a means to mature spiritually. And when you do fail, place your hope in God for a fresh start.
Prayerful Action:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind, James 1:5-6.
Clinging to a Glimmer of Hope this Fall:
Going back to my baseball speech, if you get a hit 3 out of every 10 at bats, you’re considered a great hitter. Subsequently, you have to develop a similar perspective when it comes to your spiritual life, Romans 3:9-12. If all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, keep battling like a hitter in the middle of a long 0 for streak. When you do falter, bounce back by remembering the words of an Old Testament prophet, Lamentations 3:23. God’s offers a fresh start every morning. Therefore, don’t beat yourself by dwelling on all of your failures. Instead, place your hope in God’s promise to offer you a fresh start every morning.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
Some days seem longer than others, even though all days are 24 hours in length. Nonetheless, sometimes you have to let go of bad yesterday’s by turning your attention to the dawn of a new day.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 