12/6/2023 0 Comments Strife and division scripture![]() ![]() Believers are to “make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19). In relating the conversion of Cornelius’s household, Peter “explained at length to them in an orderly sequence” (Acts 11:4, NASB). Luke, who wrote more of the New Testament than any other writer, was careful to ensure he provided “an orderly account” of Christ’s life (Luke 1:3). So the thief steals, kills, and destroys-he brings chaos-and Jesus gives life to the full-He brings order and peace and reconstruction.įollowers of Christ desire order, not chaos. Jesus removes the chaos of sin and restores spiritual order to people who accept Him as Lord and Savior: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). ![]() Our relationship with God became chaotic, as did the very nature of who we are. As a result, the order inherent in God’s creation was damaged, and chaos was introduced: we had confusion instead of surety, deception instead of truth, hiding instead of openness, weeds instead of crops, and pain instead of ease. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Physical laws remain the same, day after day, year after year, century after century. Because God is a God of order, not chaos, we know that a 2 + b 2 will always equal c 2 in a right triangle and that, no matter where we are in the universe, F = G × Mm/r 2. Since God is a God of order, apple seeds grow into apple trees, a male koala and a female koala will produce baby koalas, the moon goes through predictable phases, and planets don’t fly out of their orbits. God placed the first man in a beautiful garden “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15) in other words, God wanted Adam to maintain order in the creation. He created mankind with an orderly distinction between male and female (Genesis 1:27). He made all plants and animals to multiply “according to their kinds” (Genesis 1:11–12, 20–25). But then God brought order in a series of notable divisions: He divided the darkness from the light (Genesis 1:4), He divided the water under the firmament from the water over the firmament (Genesis 1:7), and He divided the sea from the dry land (Genesis 1:9). In the beginning, God started with a world that “was formless and empty” that is, the earth was in a chaotic state. We see both order and chaos in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. With God, disorder and chaos give way to order and peace. “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Amen.Our God is a God of order, who does all things well. Empower me to walk in love and be a blessing everywhere I go in Jesus’ name. I choose to honor You by seeking peace in my relationships. Stay above strife so you can enjoy your relationships and experience the blessing He has for you! A Prayer for Today Instead of letting disagreements pull your relationships apart, look for common ground to draw you closer together. ![]() If you are going to be all that God’s called you to be, you have to learn to stay above strife. You weren’t put on this earth to correct everybody around you. You don’t have to sink down to somebody’s level and argue with them and try to prove that you’re right. ![]() Like today’s verse says, you can simply drop the matter before it turns into something bigger than it needs to be. But you don’t have to fall into the trap of strife, you can rise above it. It’s the enemy’s greatest trap to keep people from living in victory. The Bible tells us that strife opens the door to every evil work. Someone may say something that rubs you the wrong way, and before you know it, there is tension, quarreling and division. Too often, people fall into the trap of strife. “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.” ![]()
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