Stealing

Proverbs 10:2
Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,
but righteousness delivers from death.

Have you ever stolen anything?

I did when I was a young child. A sucker, of coarse. While mom was paying for something, I slyly lifted the sucker out of the plastic container and put the sucker in my pocket. I still remember thinking I couldn't wait to eat it. I got in the back seat of the car and unwrapped it. This was the end of my shoplifting career. Mom heard that wrapper and marched me straight back into the store. I too have had the experience of doing the same to my oldest daughter.

It seems silly to have to remind grown adults that things that are stolen have no value. It seems silly to remind us that being deceitful really isn't any better. I don't know about you but I have walked out of a restaurant and said nothing when they have forgotten to put my soda on the bill. Isn't that stealing?

I am righteous because He is righteous. There is very little I can do to come close to the righteousness of God but I am called, you are called, to be righteous. Sometimes when we begin to justify our ill-gotten behaviors, we need to understand that righteousness lives in us. Do we understand what that means? Do we understand that we are in this moment, in this decision, not representing ourselves but the one true God? We are called out of death.

Please continue to pray for Angela S this week

Kiss, Day 2

K, Day 2


So, I wasn't the only one that couldn't choose the word for this week. Thank you for replying to yesterday's devo. The responses narrowed the choice down to Kiss, Knees, and Knowledge. An even number straight across. A vote for Kindness which was purely selfish, maybe Angela will share what she learns with us sometime. It doesn't hurt to challenge others once in a while. I will do what seems like the impossible for me, break it down to 3 words in 3 days.



Kiss

Proverbs 24:26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.


How is kiss related to emotion? It is one of the first things that we have planted all over our face when we are babies. If we have older siblings or pets, we get even more. As we get older, we dream of the first kiss we will share in a relationship. We seal our wedding vows with a kiss. It is definitely an emotional feeling. They are not all the same. One thing they have in common is that they are usually exchanged between two people who have a relationship of some sort or another. Since Creation, kisses have been planted symbolically to various parts of the body. The cheeks, feet, forehead, and lips. Each instance memorable enough that we hold it dear to our hearts. Triggering emotions both happy and sad.


The Bible records such kisses.

A loving kiss:
Song of Solomon 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
A seductive kiss:
Proverbs 7:13 So she caught him and kissed him
The common kiss between relatives:
Genesis 29:11-13 Then Jacob kissed Rachel.... That he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him.
A kiss of greeting:
Exodus 4:27 ...met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him.
A kiss of farewell:
Ruth 1:9... So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
Ruth 1:14... Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
A kiss in anticipation of one's death
Genesis 48:10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
The Christian family
1 Corinthians 16:20 All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
1 Peter 5:14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Kissing can be used figurative when righteousness and peace are pictured as harmonious friends:
Psalms 85:10 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.
Then there is the kiss of betrayal. Most popular example is Judas' treachery eternally symbolized by a kiss:
Luke 22:47-48 And while he was still speaking, behold a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.

What I want to discuss right here is this: How often do we do things in our lives that are merely tradition or part of a schedule? Things that are empty. We just do them for show or because it is what we have always done and there is no point in changing. How often do we continue to be something on the outside that we are not feeling on the inside? How often do we betray others by our outward actions? Do you take communion at church because it is there and you are expected, do you lift your hands in praise because it is expected, do you greet (kiss) a friend when you despise them? What do our actions say about who we really are?

Judas is no different than many of us! We betray Christ when our acts of service or giving are insincere or carried out merely for show. Or to fulfill our "Christian Duty".

I met someone who once told me that in their faith, they were expected to go door to door and minister to others. Each time she went, she dreaded it, wanted nothing to do with it, but she had to in order to fulfill her obligations to that faith.

How sad is that? Are we merely fulfilling an obligation or are we really joyfully in a relationship with our LORD. Are we hanging on to that relationship because we feel obligated? Do we get a gift for so and so because they got one for me? These are all ways that we cover or mask ourselves and miss the true meaning of living a fulfilled life with Christ.

Insincere:
Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
The Bible tells us that friendship can be hard. We can get wounds. Jesus was wounded to, in order to be in relationship with us. Can we be honest in our friendships, even if it may cause some wounds in order to keep from being deceitful? I know I would prefer a friends advice, even if it is painful, over someone who will just tell me what I want to hear. This way I know that they have my best interest in mind.

Dear Lord, thank you for this time to learn about something as simple as a kiss. I am sorry for the times I have been empty, going along with the motions, masking myself, betraying my friendships. Lord, I am so thankful that you took the wounds for us so that we may have a relationship with you. What a true friend. I pray that I can let my guard down to make friends who I would be willing to sacrifice it all for, to give my all, to be honest and to have their best interest in mind. You are amazing God.