Daily Devotionals

Voice of the Lord

Devotional: 5th of Cheshvan

When Kefa came to Antioch, I opposed him publicly, because he was clearly in the wrong (Galatians 2:11).

If we have mistaken our eternal salvation in Yeshua for a quick ticket to Utopia, then life in the real world can undo us. The Scriptures tell us that there can be value in conflict, if it is handled correctly. The well-known "ironon- iron" image (Proverbs 27:17) teaches that undesirable areas can be sanded away by friction between companions. Torah and Yeshua both affirm this principle, saying that we must actively seek reconciliation with a brother, whether we have something against that person or he has something against us (Leviticus 19:17; Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-19). The skill of "fair-fighting" is one of the most precious items in the inventory of spiritual maturity, and disagreements can become vehicles of spiritual refinement that would be difficult for us to attain otherwise.

Eliezer ben Yehuda, who almost single-handedly brought back the Hebrew language into modern use, was viciously criticized by many of the very people to whom he was seeking to impart the blessing of a restored Jewish national language. He said simply, "Bread rises, wine ferments, and brothers are born to quarrel." The fellowship of Rabbi Sha'ul (Saul; i.e., Paul) and Kefa (Peter) was able to stand the test of sincere and even heated disagreement. May ours do so as well.

...take a sober look at my ability to confront others in a self-controlled manner, and ask God for the wisdom to discern between issues needing active resolution and those I should overlook.

BC