I'm behind again, but that's nothing new. So I'll just get right into it.
They lavish gifts on the poor--
A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.
An honored life! A beautiful life!
Someone wicked takes one look and rages,
Blusters away but ends up speechless.
There's nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing.
"The righteous never lose the fruit and the reward of their liberality. They do not give sparingly and grudgingly, as some do wh imagine that they discharge their duty to the poor when they dole out a small pittance to them, but that they give liberally as necessity requires and their means allow."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
"Dealing with Divisive People"
Titus 3:10-11
Reading from the English Standard Version
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
"Much effort can be wasted in debating a person who has no desire for the truth, and it takes wisdom to know when it is proper to answer a fool according to his folly. Too many churches are disrupted and harmed when Christian leaders put up with quarrelsome and divisive people longer than they should."
In Paul's case with Titus, it was false teachers they were dealing with. But sometimes, in our day, we have to deal with people who get hungry for power, or have their own agenda that they think the church should be following, instead of trusting that the pastor is, in fact, following Christ rather than men.
"Fulfilled In the Family"
Ephesians 2:1
Reading from the English Standard Version
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
"Without Christ we lived in futility and emptiness." It was a vain life.
Christ's ransom freed us not only from the curse of the Law, but from slavery to sin. These two things go together; redemption from the curse brings us redemption from bondage.
Christ's redemptive work goes beyond salvation from the curse. We are to be redeemed from sin to Christ, "to be a people desiring to please Him."
We must now live as those who have been adopted into God's family. We have not been freed from the curse in order to live as we please. We are also free from sin.
I also pray that you help us deal with division in the church in the future. Recently, Father, division took its toll, and it wasn't pretty. As this plays out, I pray that divisivness will not be tolerated in our church. I pray for congregations everywhere that must deal with divisive people, who tout their own agenda, rather than yours. I pray that you protect your Church from liars within it, who distort the truth and try to manipulate believers. Take your vengeance on those who have harmed your Church, Lord.
Keep us generous, Father. I pray that, no matter what our circumstances, we will always have something to share with others.
Grace and peace, friends.