Daily Reading // Deuteronomy 23-25
(Find the daily reading on Pastor Jim’s Blog)
https://jholm5.wixsite.com/pastor-jim-blog
S // SCRIPTURE
Select a verse from today’s reading
Deuteronomy 25:13 (NKJV) “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light.
O // OBSERVATION
Why did this verse get your attention? Make a simple observation from the text
God takes a great deal of time telling people how to live together. Living in isolation is one thing. As soon as you add other people to the mix, how you treat others becomes a huge part of life and obedience.
God continually looks out for the weak, the poor, the disadvantaged. He takes their side. If you want to be on God’s side, that’s the side to be on.
Here he talks about doing business with someone. Things were often weighed out and paid for based on weight. When you paid for it you wanted it to weigh as little as possible. When you sold it you wanted it to weigh more. Some had a light scale to buy and a heavy scale to sell. God said ‘Don’t do it!’
A // APPLICATION
How can I apply this to my life today?
Something that is very frustrating and very common today is - inconsistency. Having one standard of behavior that applies to people you like but another standard for those you don’t like.
So often I think it’s not the tough standard that is the problem but the inconsistency. Just apply the same standard consistently to everyone. It doesn’t matter which standard it is as long as it’s consistent.
We all have a tendency to do it: Give your friends and yourself a lot of grace while strictly enforcing a standard on others. A standard I’m not even keeping.
It’s easy to see it when I am a victim of inconsistency. It’s much more difficult when I am the one being inconsistent.
Apply the same standard to all. Don’t use differing weights.
P // PRAYER
Express yourself in prayer
Jesus, Your grace is poured out to all. Your love is available to all. Show me my inconsistencies so I can be more like You. Amen.
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