A Family Unifies Each Other

Scripture: Obadiah 14

“Do not stand at the fork of the road
To cut down their fugitives;
And do not imprison their survivors
In the day of their distress.

Insights: The final thing the Edomites did was isolate and divide the people of Judah.  In other words, they exacerbated the hostility even more by imprisoning the survivors.  This act alone, not counting the previous three injustices, would have been enough to drive a wedge in the family relationship between the Edomites and the Israelites.  In modern day times we are not imprisoning our family members, but we often times drive wedges in our relationships.  We isolate family members and by practicing the previously mentioned items this week we divide our family loyalties.  Beloved, when we live our lives like this it is only bringing our adversary, Satan, the glory.  A watching world of lost people are watching those of us who claim to be members of the body of Christ Jesus.  They want to see if we really do love each other.  They want to see if we are unified or divisive.  The reason they want to see is because they have watched over and over again the body of Christ tear each other apart with their words and deeds.  If you were a lost person and you saw the body of Christ acting this way, would you want to be a part of it?  the answer would be a resounding, “NO!!!”  Let us this day, start to strive for church unity.  Let us start today to seek after love and fellowship with each other.  Let us do the opposite of what these Edomites did and let us defend, encourage, support and unify ourselves to one another.  May the Lord be brought glory as a result of our love for one another.

Questions:

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

2.  In what ways are you striving for unification within your family?

Prayer: Father, You tell us to be one as You and the Son are one.  Unfortunately, I often times mess this plan up and am rather divisive and isolating with those of which I am in contention.  Lord, forgive me and change me to strive for unity within my family so that we may shine forth brilliantly before a lost world that is watching us display love and unity toward each other.  Amen.