DEVOTIONAL FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY OCTOBER 5-6
Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Peace”
Our Bible verse for today: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony (peace)! It is like fine oil on the head, running down the beard, running down Aaron’s beard onto his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord has appointed the blessing – life forevermore.” Psalm 133:1-3
Our thought for today: “Protect the peace!”
After decades of pastoring churches I’m a firm believer in the value and importance of the regular gatherings of the church family. The overwhelming majority of the time when God’s people gather together it is a thing of beauty, peace, compassion, and blessing. Yes, most of the time. But not always.
Whenever we bring together a large group of people, each with their own unique personalities, each with different preferences and desires, and all of them bringing with them a wide variety of personal issues, the potential for conflict exists. All it takes is one or two irritable and fussy people having a bad day to get the sparks flying. A short temper here, some hurt feelings over there, and pretty soon the squabbling begins. As the people of God we have to guard against that. The fellowship of a church is a potentially fragile thing that can easily be damaged if we don’t protect it.
Some people are more likely to be the source of those disruptions than others. I believe that how easily a person is offended – and reacts to that offense, is a measure of the depth of their spirituality. The more spiritually mature a person is the less easily that individual is offended; the more immature they are the more offense they will take and the more likely they are to react to the perceived offense.
As David expressed in Psalm 133, peace and harmony among brothers and sisters in a church family is a beautiful thing. It is a blessing to all who are gathered and it is pleasing to God. I’m so grateful for the peace and harmony we enjoy at Oak Hill Baptist. Our church family is filled with spiritually mature individuals who love and care for each other and who are not easily offended.
When you gather with your church family this weekend I encourage you to protect and nurture the harmony and peace that should exist whenever God’s people are together.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 