Today’s Reading: Exodus 37; Exodus 38; Psalm 19; Acts 11
1 The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."
Author's Note: Today's reading is rich and I would like to point out some items to look for as your read. Notice the detailed instructions for the tabernacle and its furnishings. Beautiful wood, gold, silver, bronze, are used -- all with carvings and intricate detail. And note the incredible amount of weight in gold, silver, and bronze (see chapter 38 footnotes) -- over seven tons in all! -- and this weight doesn't include the fabrics, skins, and woods used. That's a lot of weight for a "portable" system. They had to do church as a team. Enjoy Psalm 19 -- it's one of my favorites -- so many beautiful truths there.Scripture: Acts 11:1-3
1 The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."
Observation: The Gentiles have become saved for the first time! Hallelujah! Right? Wrong. There are people complaining. And Peter is called on the carpet to explain and defend his actions.
Application: It always amazes me when I get to this part of Acts. And yet, I shouldn't be surprised. Even when people are getting saved, there are those in the church who will complain. They will find fault with something for some reason. There is nothing good that you can do in the church without meeting some resistance from somebody. As my title says, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.
Bottom Line: I must decide not to worry about critics, knowing they will always be there and that they will always make their whining voices heard. That is not to say that all criticism is bad -- not at all. But those who chronically complain and never lift a finger to help are not worth listening to. I will listen to those who are next to me in the battle, but those who stay away from the fray and send their barbs after the fact, I choose to ignore.
Prayer: Lord, help me to play for you, my audience of one. May I please you and not worry about pleasing men. And keep the spirit of criticism away from our church. May we be grateful and happy and supportive.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
2 comments:
Good word! It's hard to be doing all you can for the Lord and then to have people complain just takes the wind out of your sail. This is how the devil wants to devide Christians so he can pick us off one by one.
It is so important to be in the Word daily and communicating with God. I think it is the only way we can stand up under the blows of criticism that we get from other people. If we know God is ok with us, what others think doesn't matter so much. Isn't it a shame that some of the harshest criticism we get often comes from out brothers and sisters in the Lord? Good word.
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