Category: Devotion of the Day

BE REASONABLE!

And he thought within himself…
Luke 12:17

Why reason ye among yourselves?
Matthew 16:8

Come now, and let us reason together.
Isaiah 1:18

Contrary to the ideas of some, God does not discourage reason. He wants us to reason with Him. Reasoning within ourselves we arrive at conclusions as wrong as did the rich fool who planned for “many years,” when God said, “This night…”

Reasoning among ourselves we do no better. The scribes and Pharisees were always reasoning (Mk. 11:31; Lk. 5:21) but their conclusions led to the crucifying of our Saviour. The disciples reasoned (Mk. 8:17; Lk. 9:46; 24:15), but they reasoned amiss until the Lord cleared things up.

God wants us to reason together with Him on the basis of revelation, not on our poor logic. “The heart has its reasons of which the reason knows nothing,” said Pascal. There is a higher logic, which the natural man cannot receive; it is foolishness to him. But if we will let God reason with us, He will reveal His wisdom from above by the Spirit.

“While they…reasoned, Jesus himself drew near” (Lk. 24:15). Let Him clear up your problems!

“THEN THE LORD…”

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
Psalm 27:10

From childhood we like protection and security, someone to turn to. But loved ones fail us in one way or another. Death takes them, distance divides us, other circumstances render them unable to come to our aid. Some know the bitterness of being cast out or deserted by their own people. Precious as is the love and companionship and assistance of our dear ones, we had better not make that our main stay. We can be bereft of them in a moment and forsaken in tragic ways. Sometimes they remain, but because of infirmity cannot help us any more.

But when the choicest companions cannot walk with us, God says, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” It was a desolate man, forsaken of one he thought loved him, who penned out of his desperation, “O Love that wilt not let me go.” It is well to reckon on the possibility of utter bereavement, of being forsaken by those we hold dearest; but along with it we may count on the promise of never being forsaken by Him who is dearest of all. At the point of darkest human loneliness – then the Lord.