"As a man, you've got to learn to take care of Yourself!" My dad's words were worn into my heart as he gave me jobs and taught me responsibility as a teenager. We do have to be responsible for our actions and taking care of ourselves. But, part of being blessed and taking care of ourselves — at least as God sees it — is caring for others, sticking up for the disadvantaged, and intervening when someone else is being exploited. After all, we are our "brothers' and sisters' keepers!" What convicts me most about this passage, however, are the three verbs for me to obey: encourage, defend, and plead. I can't sit on the sideline and hope someone else takes care of the needs!
My Prayer...
Remove the heart of selfishness, O God, that sometimes keeps me from caring for the oppressed, abused, forgotten, and broken. Give me your eyes of concern and Jesus' heart of compassion to see the oppressed, fatherless, and widowed. O, Holy Spirit, please stir me to action and help me minister to them. In his name, the Lord, Jesus, the compassionate Christ, I pray. Amen.
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Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, January 17, 2016
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men..."
"[Peter said,] "So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus..."
"Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place — the Most High, who is my refuge — no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near..."
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