Week 4 Devotions

January 22 - - The Proverb writer reminds us, “Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent” (17:28). “Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow!” (10:19) “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions” (18:2). “There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking” (29:20). “A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook” (18:4). “If you keep your mouth shut, you will stay out of trouble” (21:23). At the risk of being as judgmental as Job’s friends, it would seem that maybe what Job needed from them was a little less talk and a little more understanding. It’s not that some of the things they were saying weren’t true because they were. But, when we talk too much we end up saying things that really are not from God, and that's what they did. On the other hand, it’s not that some of the things Job said in his defense weren’t true because they were. But, too much talk on his part resulted in his accusing God of things that simply were not true, either. It’s no wonder James told us in the New Testament, “my dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (1:19). For the fact is, “we all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every (other) way, (as well)” (3:2). Some wise individual has said, “better to be silent and let people think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” The wise King Solomon put it like this, “there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.....(there is) a time to be quiet and a time to speak up” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7). As Jesus was on trial for trumped up charges that didn’t have an ounce of truth to them, there were times when he chose to speak and there were times when he chose to be silent (John 18:19-23; 33-37; 19:8-11; Matthew 26:62-64; Mark 14:60-62). May God grant us the wisdom of Jesus to know when is the right time to speak, and when is the right time to remain silent. January 25 - - Jesus reminds us, “Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged” (Matthew 7:1&2). This truth made a tremendous impact on Jesus’ half-brother, James. He wrote, “there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over His judgment against you” (2:13). “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy....” (3:17). “Don’t speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters.....God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us.....what right do you have to condemn your neighbor?” (4:11&12). Having said that, the apostle Paul was quick to tell the Christians at Corinth that they were wrong in not judging one in their midst who was sleeping with his stepmother (I Corinthians 5:3-13). “It is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, ‘You must remove the evil person among you.’” (vss.12&13). What is the difference between what Jesus and James say and what Paul says? Paul is speaking specifically to sin committed by Christians that is open and public. Paul is talking about Christians who seem to have no remorse for the sin they are practicing. To not judge this kind of obvious sin taking place in a Christian’s life and deal with it, is to allow that sin to have a similar effect on others within the body of Christ and send a horrible message to those who are unsaved that sin is allowed in the lives of believers. Jesus and James are referring to a judgment of one’s motives that we have no way of really knowing. That is the kind of judging that Job’s friends were doing. “Is it because of your reverence for God that He accuses you and judges you? Not at all! It is because of your wickedness! Your guilt has no limit!”, Eliphaz says to Job (22:4&5). He then goes on to list some of the things Job must have done because in his mind there was no way Job would be suffering the way he was unless Job were guilty of the things Eliphaz says. According to scripture, Job’s friends probably did not receive much mercy from God in their judgment because they certainly had shown none to Job. To sum up; it is not our responsibility to condemn someone for motives we are really not sure of. On the other hand, to not judge our brothers and sisters in Christ for obvious and public sins against God is a failure to demonstrate a Christ-like love that wants to restore people to spiritual health (Galatians 6:1-3; James 5:19&20). We need God’s wisdom to know the difference between the two and also knowing when to be silent and when to speak.