The Daily Readings for THURSDAY, March 8, 2018

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
Mark 6:30-45

Daily Readings

Genesis 46:1-7, 46:28-34
Jacob Goes to Egypt
1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. 3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring. 28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.” 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

1 Corinthians 9:1-15
Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.

Mark 6:30-46
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. 45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“Five—and two fish”

Prayer of the Day for THURSDAY, March 8, 2018

Lord, you are Holy above all others, and all of the strength that I need is in your hands. I am not asking, Lord, that you take this trial away. Instead, I simply ask that Your will be done in my life. Whatever that means, that is what I want. But I admit that it's hard, Lord. Sometimes I feel like I can't go on. The pain and the fear are too much for me, and I know that I don't have the strength on my own to get through this. I know that I can come to you, Jesus, and that you will hear my prayer. I know that it is not your intent to bring me to this point just to leave me in the wilderness alone. Please, Lord, give me the strength that I need to face today. I don't have to worry about tomorrow. If you just give me the strength that I need today that is all I need. Keep me from sinning during this trial. Instead, help me to keep my eyes on you. You are the Holy Lord, and all of my hope rests in you. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus' name.

Amen

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, March 8, 2018

Acts 5:41 (NIV) The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Read all of Acts 5

Listen to Acts 5

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Devotions with Chaplain Kenny - Celebrate the Reason Behind Your Trials

Celebrate the Reason Behind Your Trials

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

~ Acts 5:41 (NIV)

James pictures these disenfranchised Israelites as “falling into” trials. The phrase “falling into” might be better translated “encountering.” It is the same term used in the story of the good Samaritan of the man who “fell among thieves.”

By the use of these words, it is obvious that the suffering believers were not overtaken by some sinful activity or temptation. Rather, they were being exploited and slandered and litigated by the rich. God was allowing these experiences to strengthen and mature their faith.

For the Jews, the trials were packaged as persecution. For us today, they could be any number of things: the loss of a job, a divorce, trouble with our children, severe financial strain, illness or death in the family, or relational problems over which we have little control.

It would be easy for us to reason that since we are not experiencing any difficulty at this time, such teaching on trials is not applicable to us. But please note that James does not say if you encounter trials, but when you encounter trials.

And when these inevitable trials come, our first strategy, according to James, is to consider it all joy.

To consider it all joy in the midst of our trials is to respond with a deliberate, intelligent appraisal of our situation. We must learn to look at the experience from God’s perspective and recognize the trial not as a happy experience in itself but as a means of producing something very valuable in life.

Philip Yancey helps us to understand this often-misunderstood concept:

“’Rejoicing in suffering’ does not mean Christians should act happy about tragedy and pain when they feel like crying. Such a view distorts honesty and true expression of feelings. Christianity is not phony. The Bible’s spotlight is on the end result, the use God can make of suffering in our lives. Before He can produce that result, however, He first needs our commitment of trust in Him, and the process of giving Him that commitment can be described as rejoicing.”

As you live in the present consider the future, think forward to the future. Gloom now, but glory in the days to come.

Lord, you are Holy above all others, and all of the strength that I need is in your hands. I am not asking, Lord, that you take this trial away. Instead, I simply ask that Your will be done in my life. Whatever that means, that is what I want. But I admit that it's hard, Lord. Sometimes I feel like I can't go on. The pain and the fear are too much for me, and I know that I don't have the strength on my own to get through this. I know that I can come to you, Jesus, and that you will hear my prayer. I know that it is not your intent to bring me to this point just to leave me in the wilderness alone. Please, Lord, give me the strength that I need to face today. I don't have to worry about tomorrow. If you just give me the strength that I need today that is all I need. Keep me from sinning during this trial. Instead, help me to keep my eyes on you. You are the Holy Lord, and all of my hope rests in you. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus' name. Amen.

In Jesus,
Chaplain Kenny

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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Taken from bestselling author David Jeremiah's book What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do. Copyright 2015 by David C Cook; all rights reserved.
God allows trials to strengthen and mature our faith.

Un dia a la Vez - La bendición

La bendición

Dichosos más bien [...] los que oyen la palabra de Dios y la obedecen.

~ Lucas 11:28 (NVI)

Cada instante que vivimos es una bendición. Cada vez que despertamos es una bendición.

Cada enseñanza que nos da la vida es una bendición.

Cada experiencia que vivimos es una bendición.

Encontrar el amor y recibir el amor es una bendición.

Cada tropiezo es una bendición porque nos acerca más a Dios.

Conocerle cada día es una bendición.

Cada vez que triunfo es una bendición.

Aun así, la mayor bendición es haber conocido a Jesús y tener vida eterna.

Estas son algunas de las cosas en las que puedes ver la mano de Dios cada día de tu vida.

¡Déjate sorprender por Dios!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Estas son algunas de las cosas en las que puedes ver la mano de Dios cada día de tu vida.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY

THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

~ Revelation 12:11 (NIV)

Overcoming believers also declare Christ’s love and forgiveness aloud to themselves, to Satan, and to the world. It is the second way we become “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).

Daniel was called by the Lord to the north of Vietnam where he soon found himself in the midst of a revival. People were coming to know the Lord and Daniel immediately started a training program to equip these new believers. He also witnessed the power of God as people were healed and many were delivered from their addiction to opium. The inevitable soon happened and Daniel was sent to prison, his “training school,” for three years. With a smile that illuminated the room, Daniel shared his experiences in prison:

“After my arrest I was put in solitary confinement and chained to the ground for six months. This was a very hard time for me. The cell was small, there were no lights in the cell and I only had one bowl of rice and salt a day. A piece of bamboo was stuck over my crossed legs and chained to the ground. Being chained to the ground for such a long time also resulted in my body swelling and creating a lot of pain. I felt totally deserted. I asked the Lord to take my life. It was too much for me. I prayed a lot but thankfully the Lord did not do what I asked.

“One night in my prison cell, chained to the ground, I saw a vision of the Lord. He did not speak a word. He just placed his hand on me and I felt how new strength filled my body. I cried and repented before the Lord. Then I knew the Lord was saying to me that He would not allow me to leave this world defeated, that when He takes me “home” it will be victoriously.

“The next day the police came and took me to another cell with other prisoners. Today I can see why God allowed this difficult time. I could share the gospel with many people in prison. After three years in prison there is a church in every area where I spent time in a prison and more than 200 inmates came to know the Lord while I was in prison. Three other prisoners who came to know the Lord also started churches in prison. When I was released from prison, I found my church in the village had grown to 500 people.”

As Daniel concluded his testimony co-workers could positively see the grace and love of the Lord in this humble man. He looked at them and summed up a life of sacrifice with the following words. “I know that God has a good plan—He sent me to prison to preach the gospel and to become a strong warrior for Him.”

RESPONSE: I will overcome today by speaking out the word of my testimony to myself, to Satan and to the world.

PRAYER: Lord, even though I am not in prison, I can be a faithful overcomer today by sharing your love with others I meet through the word of my testimony.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

NIV Devotionals for Men - On the Campaign Trail

On the Campaign Trail

John 6:25–71
Recommended Reading: Jeremiah 23:9–40; 1 Corinthians 1:18–25; 2 Timothy 4:1–8

Jesus never ran for public office. Good thing, as he often violated the hidden rules for smooth-talking, get-along-with-everyone, slick politicians. In fact, some of the statements Jesus made would cause a campaign manager to pull out his hair in frustration.

Just imagine Jesus speaking on the campaign trail. “You have seen me and still you do not believe” (John 6:36). “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them” (John 6:65). “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). None of these statements seem politically correct, do they? Certainly, none could serve as a catchy campaign slogan.

So why did Jesus say these things? Didn’t he want people to follow him? Why would he deliberately say things to offend people and turn them away?

The simple conclusion seems to be that Jesus cared far more about the quality of his disciples than about their quantity. If he cared only about increasing the size of the crowds following him, he could easily have fed them more bread or performed more miracles. Or he could have toned down some of his “hard teaching” (John 6:60).

But Jesus already knew who didn’t believe (see John 6:64). He knew that some of the people following him wanted only free food (see John 6:26) or a flashy sign from God (see John 6:30). Jesus didn’t want preoccupied followers. He wanted disciples who would proclaim, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

The same holds true today. Jesus wants us to follow him, but he still desires quality disciples. That level of commitment might mean living, saying and doing things that ruffle some feathers. As evangelist Billy Graham notes, “It is unnatural for Christianity to be popular.”

To Take Away

• Do you think of yourself as a “quality” follower of Jesus? Why or why not?
• What “hard teachings” cause you to struggle with following Jesus?
• What steps can you take to become a more devoted follower of Jesus?

Jesus never ran for public office. Good thing, as he often violated the hidden rules for smooth-talking, get-along-with-everyone, slick politicians.

Girlfriends in God - One Thing You Can’t Do

One Thing You Can’t Do

Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

~ Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

I pretty much have a black thumb. Charcoal, even. I like plants and genuinely try to keep them healthy and thriving, but fail at it a lot more than I succeed. So when my BFF brought me a baby aloe plant, my heart was torn between girlfriend-gratitude and feelings of sorrow for the innocent little aloe.

A few weeks after she gave me the plant gift, my friend told me a story. She confessed that she struggles to share things and said that she had two aloe plants for a long time. One day she felt a heart-nudge to give one of them to me and she decided that she would give me the small aloe baby. (Bless her heart! She obviously knows nothing of said black thumb!)

For weeks she had meant to act on that heart-nudge and give me the aloe plant, but just never got around to it. She’d think about bringing me the aloe plant when she wasn’t home or remember late at night when it was too late to run it by my house. In the back of her mind she thought that one of her plants would surely have an aloe baby offspring … reasoning that she could just give me that one instead of one of her two plants.

Finally, she remembered.

She brought me the cute little healing plant and gave it to me with a smile. We threw down a happy plant-dance that morning as we shared a cup of coffee and our hearts in conversation.

As we sat at my kitchen table again, coffee mugs in hands, she finished her story by excitedly saying, “The most amazing thing happened this week, Gwen! When I walked past the aloe plant that I’d kept for myself, I noticed that a baby aloe plant had sprung up in the pot! It was almost like a little present from God reminding me that I can’t out-give Him. That when I trust Him and obey His nudges, He blesses me right back.”

I nodded and smiled. That’s what is referred to a boomerang blessing. You throw out a blessing, and then one comes right back around to you.

In the Bible God calls us to be generous, and He promises to bless us when we are. God’s Word has a lot to say about the connection between generous giving and blessings.

“Good will come to him who is generousand lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice” (Psalm 112:5).

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

God calls His children to generous living, no matter what we have, who we are, or where we live. Even the poorest among us are called to live generously. And let’s not confuse the matter: it’s not about our bank accounts – it’s about our hearts, our time, our talents, and our treasures. We are to be generous, willing to share, and rich in good deeds for the glory of God.

Here’s the promise: blessings follow generosity.

Of course, this will look different to each of us, but we are ALL called to give as we live. I was blessed when my friend gave me that baby aloe plant. She was blessed too. God made sure of it. He always does. We can’t out-give God.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, You are so generous. Thank You for the abundance of Your grace, mercy, love, and truth. Help me to live generously and to give open-handedly just as You do with me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now it’s Your Turn

Where does this promise and prompting find you today? Have you been nudged lately to do something? Do you struggle to share things, both tangible and intangible? Maybe the thing you need to give is forgiveness to someone or to yourself – or encouragement – or kindness. Got a family member, neighbor, or friend in need? What will your response be?

I would love to hear about it. Click over to my blog today to let me know that you “will give as you live,” or to share a boomerang blessing story.

More from the Girlfriends

Gwen Smith’s new book, I Want It ALL, is filled with practical help, Biblical depth and applicable lessons. And it includes a Bible Study Guide right in the back. No extra purchases required! READY TO PEEK INSIDE THE PAGES? Download a FREE sample chapter at iwantitallbook.com.

SPECIAL OFFER: Gwen is offering a 20% OFF discount on the I Want It ALL book from her site when you use the coupon code: 20OFF. Click here to get yours now.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

I pretty much have a black thumb...

LHM Devotion - March 8, 2018 - Lamb of God

Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Lamb of God"

Mar. 8, 2018

Read Mark 14:12-16

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where will You have us go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

~ Mark 14:12 (ESV)

From 2,000 years later, those are the only words I can think of to describe the centerpiece of the Passover feast, the lambs sacrificed at the temple. Every year shepherds brought their lambs into Jerusalem. They had to be perfect, without defect or sickness of any kind at all. They were certainly helpless. And they were doomed -- heading for death without reprieve.

What did Jesus think of, I wonder, that last day before His own death? He probably spent it teaching in the temple -- the lambs and their cries and the smell of blood would have been right there in front of Him. His own disciples went to buy and sacrifice one of these small creatures, and then took it away to roast for dinner. Did Jesus look into the eyes of that lamb, His own picture in miniature?

Perfect, yes. A perfect man, without sin or greed or jealousy or violence. A man after God's own heart, like His ancestor David -- a man who is God's own heart, God become flesh. There was no flaw in Him. He was acceptable for sacrifice.

Helpless? -- well, yes and no. "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels?" But helpless for all that, because "how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" (Matthew 26:53-54) Jesus will not help Himself if that means failing to save us. His love for us holds Him helpless.

Doomed -- well, yes. Never was anything in the history of the world so fated to happen. God the Father willed it. Jesus' love for us drove Him to it. The Holy Spirit had promised it again and again, all through the Old Testament. Jesus would die to rescue us all.

And yet ... and yet! Those lambs in the temple would shortly be dinner, the center of a great feast for a people set free by God. Jesus, God's own Lamb, has become the center of a greater feast, celebrating the freedom He won for us by His death and resurrection. Through the body and blood He freely gives, we share in new life and joy. He is not only our Lamb, but our living Host -- our Savior.

THE PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for giving Your only Son Jesus for us. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Have you ever raised animals for eating?

Devocional del CPTLN de 08 de Marzo de 2018 - EL CORDERO DE DIOS

ALIMENTO DIARIO

"EL CORDERO DE DIOS"

8 de Marzo de 2018

Leer Marcos 14:12-16

El primer día de la fiesta de los panes sin levadura, que es cuando se sacrifica el cordero de la pascua, sus discípulos le preguntaron: "¿Dónde quieres que hagamos los preparativos para que comas la pascua?"

~ Marcos 14:12 (RVC)

Perfecto. Indefenso. Condenado.

Esas son las únicas palabras que se me ocurren hoy, dos mil años después, para describir el elemento central de la fiesta de la Pascua: los corderos sacrificados en el templo. Año tras año, los pastores llevaban sus corderos a Jerusalén. Debían ser perfectos, sin ningún defecto o enfermedad de ningún tipo. Ciertamente eran indefensos. Y estaban condenados a la muerte.

Me pregunto qué habrá pensado Jesús el último día antes de su muerte. Probablemente lo pasó enseñando en el templo, escuchando los gemidos de los corderos y sintiendo el olor de la sangre que estaba siendo derramada. Sus propios discípulos fueron a comprar y sacrificar una de esas pequeñas criaturas y luego la asaron para la cena. ¿Será que Jesús se vio a sí mismo reflejado en los ojos de ese pequeño cordero?

Perfecto, sí. Un hombre sin pecado: sin codicia, celos o violencia. Un hombre conforme al corazón de Dios, así como su antepasado David. Un hombre que es el corazón de Dios, Dios hecho carne. En él no hubo ningún defecto. Fue aceptable para el sacrificio.

¿Indefenso? Sí y no. "¿No te parece que yo puedo orar a mi Padre, y que él puede mandarme ahora mismo más de doce legiones de ángeles? Pero entonces ¿cómo se cumplirían las Escrituras? Porque es necesario que así suceda" (Mateo 26:53-54). Jesús no se va a ayudar a sí mismo si el hacerlo significa no salvarnos. Su amor por nosotros lo mantiene indefenso.

¿Condenado? Sí. Nada en la historia del mundo ha estado tan predestinado a suceder. El Padre así lo dispuso. El amor de Jesús por nosotros lo movió a hacerlo. Y el Espíritu Santo lo prometió una y otra vez a través de todo el Antiguo Testamento: Jesús habría de morir para rescatarnos.

Pero aun así... Esos corderos en el templo pronto serían la cena, el centro de la gran fiesta de un pueblo liberado por Dios. Jesús, el Cordero de Dios, se ha convertido en el centro de una fiesta aún mayor que celebra la libertad ganada por él para todos nosotros con su muerte y resurrección. A través de su cuerpo y sangre compartimos una vida nueva en gozo. Jesús no sólo es nuestro Cordero, sino también nuestro Salvador.

ORACIÓN: Querido Padre, gracias por dar tu único Hijo por nosotros. Amén.

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez criaste animales para comer?

Хлеб наш насущный - Мудрость старости

Мудрость старости

Читать сейчас: 3 Царств 12:1-7, 12-17 | Библия за год: Второзаконие 5-7; Марка 11:1-18

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В старцах – мудрость, и в долголетних – разум. — Иов 12:12

В 2010 г. газета в Сингапуре опубликовала специальный репортаж, в котором содержались жизненные уроки от восьми старейших граждан. Статья начиналась словами: «Хотя старость приносит с собой проблемы для тела и ума, она также дает преимущества. Среди них – богатство социального и эмоционального познания. Эти качества ученые начинают называть мудростью... Мудростью старости».

Действительно, у пожилых людей есть чему поучиться. К сожалению, не все это понимают. В Библии мы встречаем молодого царя, который пренебрег мудростью старцев.

Царь Соломон только что умер, и в Третьей книге царств 12:3 рассказывается, как «все собрание израильтян» пришло к Ровоаму с просьбой. Они попросили нового царя облегчить тяжелое бремя и размеры налогов, которые наложил на них его отец Соломон. В ответ они обещали верно ему служить.

Вначале молодой царь посоветовался со старцами (3 Цар. 12:6). Но их совет ему не понравился, и он обратился к молодым людям, которые выросли вместе с ним (3 Цар. 12:8). С их подачи он пригрозил израильтянам сделать их бремя еще тяжелее! Такая грубость стоила ему большей части царства.

Мы все нуждаемся в советах опытных людей, особенно тех, кто жил с Богом и знает Его Слово. Только представьте, сколько мудрости они накопили за жизнь! Несомненно, им есть чем поделиться с нами. Будем сближаться с такими людьми и прислушиваться к их мудрости.

Спасибо, Господь, за опытных и мудрых людей, с которыми Ты меня свел. Помоги мне учиться у них и прислушиваться к добрым советам.

Чтобы избежать ошибок юности, обращайтесь к мудрости старости.

автор: По Фанг Чиа

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В 2010 г. газета в Сингапуре опубликовала специальный репортаж, в котором содержались жизненные уроки от восьми старейших граждан.