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Weekly Devotions

What to Do-August 9, 2021

Day in and day out we are confronted, in all kinds of situations with the question of what to do. Let's take a look at some of the answers.

Monday Morning Devotion-August 9, 2021

What to Do

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God---what is good and acceptable and perfect.    Romans 12;2

  • Reprint from March 7, 2016

         I'm sure that you have heard it said of someone that he or she has a lot of common

sense. What does that mean?

            The dictionary definition of common sense is: "a basic ability to perceive, understand and judge things which is shared by nearly all people and can reasonably be expected of nearly all people without any need for debate."

            Or to put it more succinctly common sense is "ordinary good sense or sound practical judgment."

            Sometimes when a person-not you or me- does something dumb, i.e., an action that is clearly not the right or best one, he or she might be called out by someone.  "Hey, think about what you are doing.  Use your common sense man."

            What if common sense-that is what most people are thinking- is wrong.  Maybe they have been swayed by erroneous thinking or distortion of facts and your thoughts or actions are right.  What does that mean as far as the common sense factor is concerned?

            Of course, that could bring on a debate as to whose point of view is right.  Maybe neither one is completely right.  It could lie somewhere in between the two views with parts of each being right or proper or the one that represents the best solution.

            Here's what I think.  We tend to rely on our common sense often to know what to do and how to solve a problem.  But that doesn't suffice.  If we don't first seek the Lord's point of view, we can only make a faulty assessment.

            Whose line of thinking do you want to follow?  Do you trust your own° uh, common sense when making critical or even menial decisions?  Or does your common sense tell you to entrust the decision-making process to the Lord?

            Jesus made some pretty remarkable claims.  Some would say outrageous.  Others believed Him.  "He claimed that he is able to give eternal life to those who believe.  He showed people how to have a richer, deeper, more meaningful life here on earth." ("Rediscovering Jesus", Matthew Kelly)

            My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  John 10;27-28

            He claimed to be the Messiah: 

            Again, the high priest asked him and said to Him, 'Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?'  Then Jesus answered I am.  Mark 14:61-62.

            There is no mistaking what Jesus was saying as over and over he made it clear that

He was the long-awaited Messiah.

            Jesus claimed he could see into the future:

            Then He took the twelve aside and said to them.  Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.  He will be handed over to the Gentiles and He will be mocked and insulted and spat upon; and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him, but on the third day He will rise.  Luke 18:31-33.

            Jesus claimed to preexist the world:

            Now glorify me, Father, with You, with the glory that I had with You before the world began.  John 17:5

            "Who created the world?  God did.  So, when Jesus claimed to have existed before the world began, he was again claiming to be God."

            Now all those are claims by this Man who walked among them.  This carpenter who had been born in a stable.  But folks either believed what he said was true or He was the biggest liar of all time who had perpetrated a hoax that has existed through the ages.

            Here's what C. S. Lewis says about that in Mere Christianity:

            "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic---on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg---or he would be the devil of hell.  You must take your choice.  Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.  But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.  He has not left that open to us."

            Kelly says, "There is no evidence that Jesus was a lunatic.  If He had been, His enemies would have been able to easily discredit Him and shut Him up.  There would have been no need for a crucifixion if He were merely a lunatic.

            Ultimately it basically just comes down to this.  Do you believe Jesus is who he said He is?  Knowing about Him is not the same as knowing Him. 

            If you believe He is the real deal you will understand that His spiritual forces will be aligned to bring victory into your life each and every day.  Sometimes it may seem like evil is winning.  But, like a great player or team that gets behind and defeat seems imminent, your trust in Him will help you make a comeback.  You will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

            That's enough to ensure that in times of trouble as well as the good times, your common sense will tell you to trust in the Lord.  He will show you what to do.

Prayer:  Lord we ask that you grant us the common sense to know and trust you in all things big or small.   Amen!

 

 

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