A Family Encourages Each Other

Scripture: Obadiah 12

“Do not gloat over your brother’s day,
The day of his misfortune.
And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah
In the day of their destruction;
Yes, do not boast
In the day of their distress.

Insights: The next thing the Edomites did was to degrade the children of Israel by rejoicing in their pain.  They were literally standing around taunting the children of God and increasing their already demoralized spirit with their verbal assaults.  Beloved, again, I tell you as I did yesterday, it is very bad when our own families join in on the attacks of our lives.  These Edomites ought to have been over there encouraging the people of Judah to remain strong in their faith, to hold on to the truth of the Lord God.  They ought to have been encouraging them to repent and to turn from their wicked ways.  Instead they joined in on the Babylonian band wagon and increased the torment with their words.  It was a tragic event and one of the problems I perceive to be rampant in the local body of Christ.  We come in each Sunday with fake smiles and the placating, “I’m fine” response to people’s enquirers as to our well being.  Then after we give our obligatory response, we are often times talked and gossiped about behind our backs.  At worse times, we are even told to our face the reason for others disappointments in us.  God forgive us for our hurtful response to people.  May the Lord truly transform our hearts and allow us to display the love of Jesus with and to everyone we meet and encourage them to remain steadfast in their faith.  To God be the glory!

Questions:

1.  As you think about your primary interaction with your family, is it degrading or encouraging?

2.  When the pressures of this world rise against your family, in what ways do you help them get through the ordeal?

Prayer: Father, I am not always the best encourager.  Please forgive me for those times in which I degrade my family instead of lifting them up with encouraging words.  I am grateful You don’t treat me as I treat my family.  Amen.