Beyond Bitterness

 

Beyond Bitterness

Revelation 8: ¹⁰ Then the third angel blew his trumpet. A large star, burning like a torch, dropped from the sky and fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ¹¹ (The name of the star is “Bitterness.”) A third of the water turned bitter, and many people died from drinking the water, because it had turned bitter.

 

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After the hike, I was thirsty. We got back to the campsite and there was a water pump. We gathered around it in delight! I cupped my hands under the pump as someone raised and lowered the handle. I got excited hearing the pump rumble, but when the water came out, it was brown and rusty!

 

• Initially the water was rusty.
• We could not drink the water until the pump lines were cleared.
• We had to boil the water to make it drinkable.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, heard the third angel blow the trumpet. Then a star hit earth, contaminating a third of fresh water sources. This was the third of seven steps to continue to take down Satan’s kingdom.

 

My Observations:

• GOD will make the earth an uncomfortable place to live.
• Satan tempted JESUS with the things of this world, BUT GOD will tear down what he could offer.
• Believers in JESUS will not have to thirst, because GOD will supply living water.

 

Bitterness is a problem. I mean, when GOD uses bitterness to destroy something, it must be bad. I can have bitterness in my heart that isn’t good. I can see the injustice of a people group or remember what someone did or did not do to me or for me and react in a bitter way. Bitter is a sharp, pungent, taste or smell.  GOD has a remedy for bitterness.

 

JESUS died for my sins, even the bitter ones. HIS grace is sufficient to cover my sin of bitterness. HE is willing to reshape my heart instead of allowing it to be hardened towards any one person. HE can change any heart, and it starts with mine.

 

Challenge

• Are you surprised by what the writer saw?
• Have you ever tasted bitter water?
• Will you seek to understand GOD’s plan so you can remove any bitterness from your heart towards “that” person so you can allow GOD into your heart today?

Game of Life

Game of Life

John 5: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. ²⁵ Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, ²⁷ and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 

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With a spouse and a car full of babies, I could see the finish line. After losing so many times, I finally could win this round. When I spun the spinner, I landed on the dreaded spot that takes money away from you, just before getting to millionaire acres, the game winning spot. My dreams of winning were crushed again.

• Sometimes I want life to go as other people have planned for me.
• Sometimes I want life to be without problems.
• Sometimes I want life to be just like the game of life where you can win a large prize just for playing.

JESUS further explains to the church leaders that HE is GOD and has all authority. HE explains that the FATHER has life and so does HE. “Life will be given to those who hear ME” JESUS says. Am I listening?

• JESUS wants me to accept HIS example HE gave me in HIS word.
• JESUS wants me to look to HIM for all of my answers rather than thinking I know it all.
• JESUS wants me to hear HIM when I need comforting, correction and guidance in all aspects of life.

Life is GOD and HE gives it to me abundantly. Sometimes the enemy tries to confuse me into thinking if I am experiencing problems, I must not be living “life.” This is a lie that JESUS wants me to overcome. HE wants me to see that “life” is more than problem free and pleasure filled time.

Life means being with people who struggle, as well as with those who laugh. JESUS wants me to cry with people, smile with people and grow with people. HE wants me to point to HIM who holds life in HIS hands. I am eternally saved because of JESUS.

• What does “life” mean to you?
• Do you think you are not living because things are not going your way?
• Will you stop waiting on things to be better and start celebrating eternal life, through JESUS, before it happens?

Why So Angry?

Jonah 4: But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. ² He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. ³ Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

⁴ But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

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“Pray for your enemies?” I exclaimed! I had been wronged and I did not want these people to remain on the planet let alone have them prosper. GOD was firm with HIS message and I had to finally relent. “LORD, please protect those who set out to harm me. Enable them to know YOUR SON in a saving way. Bless their efforts that are pleasing to YOU.”

About a year later I received news that my adversaries were in fact doing quite well. “See! I knew you would be a gracious GOD!” I pouted.

• Sometimes I want to pout about what GOD is doing in someone else’s life.
• Sometimes I want to be the one on top and those who oppose me, on the bottom.
• Sometimes I want to see the demise of people rather than an escalation.

“Serves them right” were the words I had in mind as I could just picture something bad happening to my foes. BUT GOD had something different in mind.

• GOD says to me “Is it right for you to be angry when I am not?”
• GOD says to me “Will you take MY yoke on you and learn from ME how to be slow to anger?”
• GOD says to me “Can you see that I have held back calamity and MY love is abounding?”

Grace and compassion was the true lesson. I had to spit out my poison and release all the bitterness I had over “those” people in order to see just how blind I was. Over time I was able to truly ask GOD to work in their lives. GOD shows me extreme compassion and wants me to do the same.

• Are you mad about something someone has done?
• Are you busy spreading your bitterness?
• Will you listen to GOD asking you to pay attention to HIS compassion?
• Can you take GOD’s example and spread a healthy dose of compassion to someone today?

GOD Won’t Mind

Jeremiah 32: ³⁷ I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. ³⁸ They will be my people, and I will be their God. ³⁹ I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. ⁴⁰ I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. ⁴¹ I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

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Too tired to pray I skipped it and said to myself, “GOD won’t mind.” I mean HE knows I’m tired. Hanging out with a crowd, saying and doing what they were, I said to myself “GOD won’t mind.” I mean, isn’t HE supposed to forgive me anyway? Skipping church for months, even years and then when I did go I decided not to give, I said to myself “GOD won’t mind.” I mean those religious people are hypocrites anyway and I don’t want to be a hypocrite.

• Many times I took my relationship with GOD as “granted.”
• Many times I thought GOD would never get angry with me.
• Many times I justified my sin by saying “the man upstairs is supposed to forgive me.”

Having the wrong view of GOD lead to calamity in my life. Instead of the freedom I anticipated, I wound up trapped in a cage full of sin with no way out. Broken relationships, broken accomplishments and broken bank made me realize that doing life on my own was incredibly sad and wrong. There had to be something more, something greater.

• GOD said to me “I will be your GOD and you MY people.”
• GOD said to me “I will gather you and give you singleness of heart and action so you will always fear ME and that all will go well with you and your children.”
• GOD said to me “I will make an everlasting covenant with you and never stop doing good to you.”
• GOD said to me “I will inspire you to fear ME, so you will never turn away from ME.”

A solid relationship is what GOD wants with me, but HE can’t have it when I turn my back on HIM and HIS ways. When I run away from HIM and sin like there is no tomorrow, I should expect consequences and hope they are repairable. My fear of GOD should keep me doing what HE wants me to do rather than fulfilling any temptation that pops into my head. I must think to myself “GOD will mind” in order to have a life where all is well.

• Are you living a lifestyle that is not pleasing to GOD?
• Have you said to yourself “GOD made me this way” instead of asking HIM how do YOU want me to live?
• Will you consider stop trying to please people and seeking to please GOD by serving others the way HE has gifted you?