Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 28
Monday


BEWARE OF
JUMPING TO
CONCLUSIONS

READ:
Joshua 22:10-34
__________________________________________________

Do not hasten in your
spirit to be angry,
for anger rests in
the bosom of fools.
__Ecclesiastes 7:9
__________________________________________________

The e-mail contained nothing but Bible verses, and it came from someone I didn't know very well at a time when there was disagreement among members of a church committee I was on. I assumed that the verses were aimed at me in an accusing way, and I was angry that someone who didn't know all the issues involved would use Scripture to attack me.

Before I could retaliate, my husband, Jay, suggested I give her the benefit of the doubt instead of assuming the worst. "Perhaps there's an innocent explanation," he said. I couldn't imagine what it would be, but I followed his advice and called. "Thank you so much for calling," she said, "My computer has a virus and it spewed out e-mails using pieces of our Sunday school lesson to random people in my address book." Gulp. I'm thankful that God used Jay to keep me from creating a problem where none existed.

By jumping to a conclusion that was logical but untrue, I came dangerously close to unnecessary conflict. The Israelites did the same thing. They were ready to go to war because they wrongly assumed that the altar built by their brothers was a sign of rebellion against God (Josh. 22:9-34). To avoid making wrong judgments, we must be careful to get the facts right. __Julie Ackerman Link
_____________________________________________________________

`````````````````````When you're forming your opinions,``````````
`````````````````````````Do it carefully--go slow;````````````````
`````````````````````Hasty judgments oft are followed`````````````
``````````````````By regretting--that I know. __Anon.`````````````
_____________________________________________________________

To avoid an embarrassing fall,
don't jump to a wrong conclusion.

************Today's Bible Reading __ Joshua 22:10-34*************

10 And when they came to
the region of the Jordan
which is in the land of
Canaan, the children of
Reuben, the children of Gad,
and half the tribe of
Manasseh built an altar there
by the Jordan... 12 And...
the children of Israel
gathered together at Shiloh
to go to war against them.

13 Then the children of Israel
sent Phinehas... 14 and with
him ten rulers.... 15 And
they spoke with them,
saying, 16 "Thus says the
whole congregation of the
LORD: 'What treachery is
this that you have committed
against the God of Israel, to
turn away this day from
following the LORD, in that
you have built for
yourselves and altar?...

18 And it shall be, if you
rebel today against the
LORD, that tomorrow He
will be angry with the whole
congregation of Israel....'"

21 Then [they] answered
and said...: 22 "The LORD
God of gods,...He knows
...if it is in rebellion,...
against the LORD, do not
save us this day....

24 "But in fact we have
done it for fear, for a reason,
saying, 'In time to come
your descendants may speak
to our descendants, saying,
"What have you to do with
the LORD God of Israel?...'

26 "Therefore we said, 'Let
us now prepare to build
ourselves an altar, not for
burnt offering nor for
sacrifice, 27 but that it may
be a witness between you
and us and our generations
after us, that we may
perform the service of the
LORD before Him....'

29 Now...Phinehas [said]
..., 31 "This day we
perceive that the LORD is
among us, because you have
not committed this treachery
against the LORD..."

34 The children of Reuben
and the children of Gad
called the altar, Witness,
"For it is a witness between
us that the LORD is God."

[momof3]

eww..i love this one! how quickly we can jump....at least i know i have!

thanks for posting this cimi. Is an awesome reminder that we all so need to hear.

love ya!
in Jesus,
momo