DEVOTION: Spiritual Vagabonds.

Rusty A Lang (Pseudonym for Marlene Anne Morphew |@AnneMorphew)

Wriggling worm

When have you noticed life going along well and we let an offence wriggle in?

There are people who are actually treated unjustly and then there are those who believe they have been treated unjustly. The latter thinking is a subtle snare that evil thrives on. This happens when we draw conclusions from inaccurate information and deception takes hold. We begin to make bad decisions and incorrect assumptions based on unrealistic expectations. We rely on how we perceive things to be or hearsay and dwell on our hurts and disappointments.

But it gets worse, if we let it. Protective bars go up, which lead to isolation, we become consumed by the offence, inward focused and full of self-pity. Finally it saps our energy, affects our emotional stability and peace of mind.

Oh yes, Satan’s tool of offence causes cat fights, quarrelling and strife as well if we let it.An offence is like a worm that is working its way out from the middle of an apple, eating us from the inside out, causing bitterness, anger and even physical disease. People who refuse to let go of an offence, become spiritual vagabonds.

Other side of the coin

How often have we offended others? 

“Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you – for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others”  (Ecclesiastes 7:21). 

Did you know offending someone intentionally is the same as cursing that person?

Then we are faced with the reality:

 “An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel” (Prov. 18:19). 

Fault Boxes

A couple married for fifteen years began having more than a few disagreements. They wanted to make their marriage work and agreed on an idea. For one month they planned to drop slips into fault boxes for each. The wife was diligent in her efforts and approach: leaving the top off the vegemite jar, wet towels on the bathroom floor, dirty socks not in laundry basket, leaving the toilet seat up. 

At the end of the month, they exchanged boxes.

The husband reflected on what he had been doing wrong according to his wife. Then the wife opened her box and began reading. They were all the same. The message on each slip read, ’I love you.’ (Original author unknown)

Anecdote to Offence

Love and forgiveness takes the sting out of offence. 

Is there someone today God is asking you to forgive?

How do you deal with offence?

Timeless Treasures: Digging for Gold Daily

This devotion is edited from Daily No. 289 titled Spiritual Vagabonds: Offence

 

Are you tired of the same old devotionals?
The ones that once met your daily needs but now seem shallow because you have moved on and long for a deeper daily feed? 

I wrote Timeless Treasures with you in mind. It has 366 one page daily studies of topics from A-Z. Not dated, you can choose what you need for the day from the list of subjects in the back.

About the author

Marlene Anne Morphew/Rusty A. Lang – healed from dyslexia and childhood abuse, schooled in brokenness, writing is in her DNA. Discover her testimony in her autobiography, Good Things Take Time: Metamorphosis of a Damaged Soul. Explore her other non-fiction publications on rustyalang.com

Her International teaching ministry takes her away from her writing desk throughout the year but her heart home is still Australia with her husband, Ray. Connect with Marlene to follow her updates and daily posts on Facebook.