by Don Ruhl

Read Genesis 36--38

Conspiracy to Kill

The brothers of Joseph hate him, leading them to seek his death.

18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him (Gen. 37:18).

Family we should love the most, but often we hate them the most. I am one of those naive people who believe that we are all family and so we should not seek to harm one another. When I see people on television, I think to myself, that they are all my family. When I hear of Osama bin Laden's hatred for American's, I think, hey, we are your family. Do not harm us. Yet, the truth is, as in the case of Joseph and his brothers, hatred can be as strong as love. More murders are committed between family members than between strangers.

In the case of Joseph, he did not do wicked things to his brothers, but they hated him for his righteousness. Likewise, there are going to be people who hate us, even people within our families, but let it be because we are righteous and not because we have been wicked toward them.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

by Phil Sanders

"How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!" (Psalm 32:1,2)

Forgiveness is not forgetting but "forgetting against." When God forgives us, He no longer counts our sins against us (2 Cor. 5:19) so that we might be reconciled to Him (2 Cor. 5:20).

Humans cannot undo the past, but God can forget our past sins against us so that we are no longer guilty. Psalm 85:2,3 says of God: "You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger."

David, who sinned with Bathsheba and killed Uriah, understood the terrible guilt and pain of sin; but he also understood the joy of forgiveness. He wrote and sang these words that gave him comfort,

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious,     Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.     He will not always strive with us,     Nor will He keep His anger forever.     He has not dealt with us according to our sins,     Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.     For as high as the heavens are above the earth,     So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.     As far as the east is from the west,     So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:8-12)

When we realize our sins are forgiven at the cost of the precious blood of the Lamb of God (1 Pet. 1:18-19), we must forever humble our hearts in gratitude for His amazing love and sacrifice. That realization ought to call us to determine never again to do such things. Having a close, loving relationship with God is the most blessed thing we can ever have. Let us always find joy in our salvation.

by Don Ruhl

Read Matthew 10:21--42

Family against Family

In Matthew 10:21, Jesus warns His apostles,

21 Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death (Mat. 10:21).

In the Old Testament e-mail devotional for this morning, we looked at the hatred of the brothers of Joseph against him. Here, Jesus shows that the same thing will happen to Christians. Some people will be so against Christ, that if a family member becomes a disciple of Jesus, the family will persecute that disciple, even to the point of death.

It is hard to imagine that happening, but when it happens, we cannot be surprised, but remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ that He warned us of these things. At the same time, if our family hates us because we are disagreeable people, we cannot fall back on this warning of Jesus. He knows why people are against us. Let us follow Him, and let happen what is to happen, and let us praise God in the process.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100