The Devotional

Papa J's rules for Livin #167

We are challenged to run from danger; Not a bad idea, but do not let panic gain the upper hand since it is safer to face the danger. Panic, is the greater threat to your safety. Psalm 26:1

A few years ago the local fire department was at a house fire. The whole house was taken in the fire which began in the fire place, but it was not the fire in the fire place that was the primary cause. During the summer months the owner of the house decided to run electricity to his outside shed. He did this by drilling a whole through the base of the fire place and running the electrical cable through the hole. All seemed well to him, but this project somehow ruined the integrity of the fire place. In the attempt to put the fire out before we arrived, he was overcome by smoke and nearly died and his wife in the process of trying to remove him from the fire was also hurt. In all, the children, his pets (2 dogs) and his neighbors were affected by his failed project. I am reminded of this each year at this time because it happened just one week before Christmas. All that shopping, preparation and anticipation for Christmas Day was lost. The irony of this is that the only thing left standing on that property was the fireplace and the chimney which had to be pushed over by a bulldozer later that day. Most fires in homes are a result of bad choices by the occupants.

1 Corinthians 7

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 The word of God is very convicting, God always shows us areas of weakness in our lives if we are willing to look at them. This portion of Corinthians is very convicting to me and I never realized how much I lack in the understanding of this covenant of marriage. I think that with men we want to believe that we know it all and do not want to be told or tutored about personal subjects like love and intimacy. Whether this is a traditional or cultural breakdown in our society does not matter, what matters is that our lack of biblical knowledge is a selfish choice.

Looking at 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 again today is important. I think that the whole chapter is one of the most important in the whole epistle. I feel like I am sinking in quicksand every time I start reading these verses. If there is any failure in our society today, it is because men who are responsible to God have failed Him and their families in a very big way. Men are accountable to God for the Spiritual and physical health of their families. This is an area where we want to blame God or our fathers for this lack of understanding, but the bottom lines is that we have no excuse. Not even Genesis 3:1-24 is an excuse.

So what shall we do? We need to take heed to the the Word of God, for many have not done this and the condition of our schools reflect this in a very big way. You know the statistics and no one needs to remind us that single parent families and children living in abusive conditions are major reasons for our schools that teach that abortion and same sex marriage are normal. That schools are unsafe places to be these days and that schools are becoming a place spiritual harm to young people who are continually taught that they are little gods and parents are their adversaries.

Like the fire story above, we just ignore the danger until it all goes up in smoke, then it affects the whole family, the whole neighborhood, the whole county, the nation and then what? The bulldozer!