READ: Acts 19
THINK: Often God allows us to experience unpleasant consequences of choices we make, sometimes so we realize how our choices affect our relationships with him and other people. For example, he might allow ugly parts of our character to be exposed, with embarrassing and painful results. Why do you think God uses consequences to draw people’s attention to the thorny parts of their hearts? What do you think God wanted the sons of Sceva to learn about themselves through this experience?
PRAY: Recall a difficult experience that helped you see more of your weaknesses or faults. Ponder the state of your relationship with God before the experience. How did it change? Think about your relationships with others, both before and after the experience. What changed? In other words, in what ways did your newfound awareness impact how you relate to others?
LIVE: Mull over these words, written by Teresa Avila in her Interior Castle: “We are fonder of consolations than we are of the cross. Test us Lord – for You know the truth – so that we may know ourselves.” Can you identify with her confession? Can you identify with her request to be more fully exposed to God and to see herself more clearly? Sit and talk with God about your reaction to testing from him, contrasting it to your reaction to feel-good experiences.
– By: Eugene Peterson in Solo
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