Debbie's Bible Nuggets
“Focused on Family”
I heard a quote years ago “if Satan can destroy the family he can destroy a nation.”
Mark 6:3-6
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judah and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them a prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them and he marveled because of their unbelief and went round about the village's teaching.”
Jesus had performed miracles of all kinds, everywhere he went, but in his hometown just a few sick were healed.
His family saw him as nothing but a carpenter's son… the son of Mary not the Son of God. Because of their offense toward him in his home he was seen as nothing.. unbelief in who He is hindered what could have been many miracles.
Genesis 37:28
“Then they passed by Midianites, Merchantmen, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver and they brought Joseph unto Egypt.”
Jealousy and hatred among brothers.. they wanted to kill Joseph, but instead got rid of him by selling him.
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity.”
Your friend sees you happy over an accomplishment and they cheer you on, a brother sees that same accomplishment and becomes jealous or competitive. A friend sees the positive changes in your life, a brother only sees who you were.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.”
The tactic to destroy the family is nothing new. Since the beginning of time the enemy has gone after the family.The first siblings born Cain and Abel, over jealousy Cain killed Abel. The first murder recorded in scripture was a brother killing a brother. Satan knows if he can destroy a family he can destroy the nation.
When a stranger or acquaintance hurts us we may be sad or for awhile, but we quickly move past it. When a mom, dad, sister, brother, husband, wife, son or daughter hurts us… it goes deep. It consumes our thoughts and can lead to bitterness, estrangement, and even death of a family.
It causes our focus to be very small… seeing only the small circle of our own life, hindering the realization that beyond this is a broken, lost dying world We strive to fix and heal our circle…. we lose the desire to reach beyond our own walls… and the destruction of the family begins.
Perhaps that is why Jesus said what he did in Matthew 10:36-38
“And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me.”
I think that's the answer to how we let go of the family hurts and see beyond our own circle, and see the lost broken dying world have hope. When we truly lay down all we love and care about and focus on and place all of our life in Christ and carry our cross trusting him with our family to do the work only he can do.
It's not easy but we have to look beyond our immediate circle of people to truly follow where Jesus leads.
It's not always tough stuff going on within a family that consumes our heart, mind and soul, it can also be the good stuff… feeling such a sense of peace that the burden to pray and study the word can take a backseat. Face it, prayer is more urgent when there is sickness, sadness, fear, etc.
The biggest desire I hear people speak of is peace. When things are good we feel that peace and it becomes easy to truly relax. Yet those are the times when we should truly be still and know he is God, to meditate on his word, hear his voice, seek his face and prepare our minds for whatever may be next.
Our families are the ones who matter most to us, but we have no ability to fix them or their anger bitterness hurts, etc…So when Jesus says to hate them, he's actually offering us the greatest way to love them, by letting go and allowing Him to do the work only he can truly do.
I heard a quote years ago “if Satan can destroy the family he can destroy a nation.”
Mark 6:3-6
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judah and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them a prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them and he marveled because of their unbelief and went round about the village's teaching.”
Jesus had performed miracles of all kinds, everywhere he went, but in his hometown just a few sick were healed.
His family saw him as nothing but a carpenter's son… the son of Mary not the Son of God. Because of their offense toward him in his home he was seen as nothing.. unbelief in who He is hindered what could have been many miracles.
Genesis 37:28
“Then they passed by Midianites, Merchantmen, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver and they brought Joseph unto Egypt.”
Jealousy and hatred among brothers.. they wanted to kill Joseph, but instead got rid of him by selling him.
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity.”
Your friend sees you happy over an accomplishment and they cheer you on, a brother sees that same accomplishment and becomes jealous or competitive. A friend sees the positive changes in your life, a brother only sees who you were.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.”
The tactic to destroy the family is nothing new. Since the beginning of time the enemy has gone after the family.The first siblings born Cain and Abel, over jealousy Cain killed Abel. The first murder recorded in scripture was a brother killing a brother. Satan knows if he can destroy a family he can destroy the nation.
When a stranger or acquaintance hurts us we may be sad or for awhile, but we quickly move past it. When a mom, dad, sister, brother, husband, wife, son or daughter hurts us… it goes deep. It consumes our thoughts and can lead to bitterness, estrangement, and even death of a family.
It causes our focus to be very small… seeing only the small circle of our own life, hindering the realization that beyond this is a broken, lost dying world We strive to fix and heal our circle…. we lose the desire to reach beyond our own walls… and the destruction of the family begins.
Perhaps that is why Jesus said what he did in Matthew 10:36-38
“And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me.”
I think that's the answer to how we let go of the family hurts and see beyond our own circle, and see the lost broken dying world have hope. When we truly lay down all we love and care about and focus on and place all of our life in Christ and carry our cross trusting him with our family to do the work only he can do.
It's not easy but we have to look beyond our immediate circle of people to truly follow where Jesus leads.
It's not always tough stuff going on within a family that consumes our heart, mind and soul, it can also be the good stuff… feeling such a sense of peace that the burden to pray and study the word can take a backseat. Face it, prayer is more urgent when there is sickness, sadness, fear, etc.
The biggest desire I hear people speak of is peace. When things are good we feel that peace and it becomes easy to truly relax. Yet those are the times when we should truly be still and know he is God, to meditate on his word, hear his voice, seek his face and prepare our minds for whatever may be next.
Our families are the ones who matter most to us, but we have no ability to fix them or their anger bitterness hurts, etc…So when Jesus says to hate them, he's actually offering us the greatest way to love them, by letting go and allowing Him to do the work only he can truly do.
Recent
Archive
2024
January
February
September
No Comments