December 6

Today's Reading

Hosea. Have you heard the cries of anguish from a spouse who has discovered that his/her mate has been unfaithful? Their epithets of pain still ring fresh in my memory. They can range from deep sorrow as a result of betrayal to severe self-rejection to violent anger. I thought of those cries when I read God's words to Hosea today.

2 John. You might think that twisted teaching about the Gospel is a new thing, but that's far from true. Since the very beginning, the enemy has used false teaching as a way to lead people astray. Much of that false doctrine is such a clever counterfeit that you can hardly recognize it as such -- until you notice that it puts people in bondage rather than setting them free. There's another counterfeit around every corner. Be careful of them!

Psalms. The same God who secures the earth in space is the One who hangs on to us when we are in trouble. No matter how shaken our circumstances may be, He is always solid.

Proverbs. "Fools vent their anger,
but the wise quietly hold it back." I had to travel to a California city on "Black Friday." The computer store where I had a scheduled repair for my iMac was in the midst of a huge shopping region and the traffic was horrible. I was running late, feeling impatient and very tempted to visibly show my frustration to one or two of the other drivers. After I dropped off the computer, I was more relaxed. I then noticed someone else do exactly what I was tempted to do. I felt so ashamed of my own thoughts when I saw someone else commit the sin. 

What speaks to you today?