It’s Day Eleven of our 21-day Fast. I pray that the daily devotion and the lessons on each page have helped grow you. I also pray that your eyes have been opened to things you haven’t seen before. And I come bearing good news – the best is yet to come. The last ten days are the sweetest of all if you will stay the course. I also come with a word of grace – if you fall off the wagon and eat something that violates the fast you committed to, shake it off. Jump back in immediately. It doesn’t mean you are a bad person; it means you are human. There’s grace for that.
Today we’re focusing on eyes that are open to seeing resolved conflicts in our life. Are there conflicts on your job? Are there conflicts in your family? Are there conflicts with friends? Maybe somebody said something, did something, that has really offended you or hurt you.
Seeing Conflict Through God’s Eyes
I remember reading that over 70% of all people do not enjoy their work. When this is broken down, two of the most common reasons are difficult colleagues and office politics. When the statistics are that high, then I know I’m speaking to a whole lot of folks. There will always be difficult people in our lives because we are all human and all uniquely different. My guess is that when I said “difficult person” a face came to your mind. The question isn’t, “How do you see the most difficult person in your world?” The important question is, “What do you do with the most difficult person in your life?”
Hold the face of that difficult person in your focus for a moment and answer a few questions. What does that person think of you? When that person sees you do they see a loving man or woman of God or something else? Didn’t Jesus die for your most difficult person? How do you think God sees that difficult person? Could there be a reason the Lord placed you in that person’s life?
Today's Bible Reading
I Peter 3:9
9not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
Ephesians 4
Walk in Unity
1I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Spiritual Gifts
7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”
9(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The New Man
17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20But you have not so learned Christ, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
25Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give place to the devil. 28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
James 4:1-11
1Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
Humility Cures Worldliness
7Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Do Not Judge a Brother
11Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
I Corinthians 13
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Prayer:
Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray today for the spirit of peace. I pray today for the spirit of reconciliation, of victory in every conflict. There are many people who are going through things during this fast. Maybe it’s a lawsuit; maybe it’s a problem on the job where there’s great conflict. May You open our eyes and give us the method, the way to peace and reconciliation with people in difficult situations. We ask for it, Lord. We submit it to You today, God. I thank You for the anointing to bring the resolution to conflict into these situations. In Jesus’ name we pray.