O.C. (3)-- Wow.

So I finally read the devotion for the day and was shocked... and convicted. 

What My Obedience Costs' Other People

"As they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon..., and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus" Luke 23:26

If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the pain begins. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything— it is a delight. But to those who do not love him, our obedience does cost a great deal. If we obey God, it will mean that other people's plans are upset. They will ridicule us as if to say, "You call this Christianity"?  We could prevent the suffering, but not if we are obedient to God. We must let the cost be paid. 

When our obedience begins to cost others, our human pride entrenches itself and we say, "I will never accept anything from anyone." But we must, or disobey God. We have no right to think that the type of relationships we have with others should be any different from those the Lord himself had (see Luke 8:1-3).

A lack of progress in our spiritual life results when we try to bear all the costs ourselves. And actually, we cannot. Because we are so involved in the universal purposes of God, others are immediately affected by our obedience to Him. Will we remain faithful in our obedience to God and be willing to suffer the humiliation of refusing to be independent? Or will we do just the opposite and say, "I will not cause other people to suffer"? We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but it will grieve our Lord . If, however, we obey God, He will care for those who have suffered the consequences for our obedience. We must simply obey and leave all the consequences with Him. 

Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him. 

Jeremiah 15:15-21

You who know, O Lord,

Remember me, take notice of me,

And take vengeance for me on

my persecutors.

Do not, in view of Your patience,

take me away;

Know that for Your sake I 

endure reproach

Your words were found and I ate

them,

And Your words became for me

a joy and the delight of my 

heart;

For I have been called by Your

name,

O Lord God of hosts.

I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers,

Nor did I exult.

Because of Your hand [yoke] upon me I

sat alone,

For You filled me with

indignation.

Why has my pain been perpetual

And my wound incurable,

refusing to be healed?

Will You indeed be to me like a

deceptive stream

With water that is unreliable?

Therefore, thus says the Lord,

"If you return, then I will restore

you—

Before Me you will stand;

And if you extract the precious 

from the worthless,

You will become My spokesman.

They for their part may turn to 

you,

But as for you, you must not turn

to them.

Then I will make you to this

people

A fortified wall of bronze;

And though they fight against

you,

They will not prevail over you;

For I am with you to save you

And deliver you," declares the 

Lord. 

"So I will deliver you from the 

hand of the wicked,

And I will redeem you from the

grasp of the violent." 

Regeneration

Have you ever watched cells split apart under a microscope? I'm not much of a science/biology person, but I love learning about how the body works. And cells are pretty cool, on a miniscule level. They make up EVERYTHING— they're necessary. Anyway, cells regenerate, right? They can split apart and multiply and be independent and work together to make up anything. 

I am made up of cells; you are made up of cells. Living, growing, expanding tissue that fights infection and carries oxygen to our brain. So my new year is kicking off with this theme— regeneration. I want to be a big, fat cell, to "split" into something new and yet stay connected and together, to make up whatever God wants me to be. I don't want to rush; I'm not going to force-feed myself. I'm going to let God do His work. That's my purpose today.