Devotion: No Means No!

 God will keep you from all danger!!!!!

Daily Bible Verse

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ~Ephesians 4:26

Daily Inspiration

Anger is a dangerous emotion when allowed control. When observing our day, numerous small details cause frustration. We are displeased with our morning routine or annoyed by traffic. We are frustrated when we run late or have to wait in line for coffee. Although these seem like minimal irritations, they build up to become dangerous to our mental health. Before we know it, we are mad all the time; every moment of the day. Paul tells us we should work quickly to resolve our anger. Anger prompts us to act out of character and leads to sin. We will lay the burden of anger down and lean on the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Daily Prayer

Dear Father, we grow irritated with minor inconveniences throughout the day; we lay the burden of anger at Your feet and seek guidance to rid ourselves of this darkness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

All we NEED is JESUS!!!!!!!

No Means No!

By David Jacobs

No Means No!: Sexual abuse is found throughout the Bible and our current society? What can we do to reduce this scourge? ~2 Samuel 13:1-5, 11-16

The world is starting to shed a bit more light on the dark plague that is sexual abuse and rape. Abusive behavior of men that has been tolerated for most of human existence is finally beginning to be considered inappropriate and immoral.

Unfortunately it is a problem that has existed for as long as there has been recorded history, and it seems it is only now getting the attention it deserves. Women are often blamed for being the victims of rape. “She shouldn’t have been there”, “She should have known better”, “She knew what kind of man he is”, and “Boys will be boys”, are all excuses that I have heard in response to the sexual abuse scandals in Hollywood. The problem will persist until we change the attitudes of people thinking these things.

These verses tell a disgusting story, once again involving a son of David. Another David’s sons, Absalom, will soon conspire to overthrow and kill his father, but in these verses, Absalom’s sister Tamar is raped by her half-brother, Amnon. There is more than one guilty party here, for Amnon’s friend, Jonadab, initially hatches a plan. Amnon forces his half-sister, a virgin, to sleep with hi, and is then disgusted by her, ignoring her pleas to send him away, knowing the shame that it will bring the two of them. This is only the beginning of this story, because later in this chapter, Absalom plots revenge and eventually kills his brother, Amnon.

I once again think about David’s role in this story: considering the story of Bathsheba, he did not set the best male role model for his sons. This story sounds like it could be in a tabloid newspaper in modern times, so the problems have remained the same for literally thousands of years. the way that the wrongdoers behave in these verses, namely, the men, is not so different from the shaming culture that persists today.

Prayer

We can make a difference. We can learn from the sinful ways of those before us and create a new and safer society. It starts with us acknowledging that the way things were and the way things currently are is wrong. Remember the teachings of Christ; remember the horror stories in these verses and in modern society. Then and only then, will people like Amnon listen to Tamar when she implores him not to do this wicked thing, No means no!

God is my Provider, TODAY, TOMORROW, and ALWAYS!!!!!!

When You Feel Attacked

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; ~James 1:2