Like One of Them
Obadiah 10-11: Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.
Have you ever led someone else away from Jesus? Even just a little bit? Even just for a moment? What bigger “violence” could there be than to rip someone away from heaven? Who knows if the “little step” you might get someone to take away from Jesus could be the last one they need before they never step back again?
Jesus said, “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). We sometimes slip. We sometimes sin, and we know that God has forgiven our sins. But that doesn’t give us the right or a license to go and sin all we want. And it doesn’t give us the right to coax somebody else to sin.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: Why is it important to sift our actions through the Word of God and faith rather than our human reason?
PRAYER SUGGESTION: Thank you, Jesus, for forgiving even these sins. Help us to remember that you hate sin, that you punish sin, but that you have forgiven us. Amen.