NEW INSIGHT

I started reading through the book of Psalms again today. As I opened my Bible, I breathed a simple prayer that God would speak to me. He did -- but in a way I'd never considered before.

The first verse of the first Psalm "jumped out" at me in a completely different way. You're familiar with the verse, I know; could probably recite it by heart.

"Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

That middle phrase, "nor standeth in the way of sinners," refers to the fact that we are not to engage in sinful practices, that we are not to join unbelievers in their devious ways.

Then it hit me -- we're to live in such a way that we don't hinder sinners from becoming Christians. We're not to stand in the way of their receiving Christ as Savior. We're not to become a stumbling block to them because of the way we live.

"How do we ever do that?" you may be wondering. By our lives; by our actions. By cutting corners here and there. By being a little shady in our business deals. By spreading gossip, dissension, etc. By not being completely honest. Unbelievers may be as crooked as can be. But they have a high standard that they expect Christians to live by.

Believers are not perfect by any means. We're only human, and we make mistakes. But we need to be careful that we walk as uprightly as we can and show love to all men so that we do not hinder others, both believers and unbelievers, in their spiritual journey.

My challenge today is, let's not stand in the way of sinners by becoming stumbling blocks in their paths.

Preacher's Kid