DAY 31
DATE: 1/31/2013
Good Morning! My name is Margie Jackson and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Obadiah.
KEY VERSES:
Verses 3 and 21 3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord‘s.
REFLECTIONS:
After a quick glance of this one-chapter book, I was a little uneasy about doing this devotional. Bible prophecy and history are definitely not my strength. But by the time I was finished, I was gently rebuked and reminded – the study of God’s Word is always a good thing, and always good for me!
In this book, the prophet Obadiah gives the Edomites God’s message. The people of Edom were descendants of Esau, who was the twin brother of Jacob/Israel. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, and his descendants seem to have tried to make God’s chosen people, the Israelites, give it back or be sorry ever since. God’s message to the Edomites is this: because of their treatment of Israel, they will, in the language of the New Testament, reap what they have sown. And they do. Verse 15 says…as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
Years ago I had the privilege of visiting part of the city of Petra in Jordan. This amazing place was at one time an Edomite stronghold, which I was reminded of in verse 3, …thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? We entered the city through a narrow passage; we rode single file on donkeys, and if your donkey moved too much to the left or right, your leg would scrape the high wall on either side of the passageway. What a fortress! How could any enemy possibly hurt them? And the city itself, elaborate buildings carved right into the red mountain rocks, is like nothing I’m ever likely to see again.
But the end of this story of Edom and Petra is found in the last verse of Obadiah…the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. One powerful message to me is that God takes care of His people. He knew all along how Edom was treating Israel, and in His time, He dealt with them. No matter how Satan tries to discourage me, no matter what battle I think I am fighting on my own, the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. The God Who conquered Edom is looking out for me.
APPLICATION:
In our Ladies’ Bible Study on Wednesday nights, we are studying spiritual warfare. I am sometimes so overwhelmed by Satan’s tactics that I fail to recognize how often my battle is a spiritual one. What a different perspective I have when the Lord reminds me of this, and that He always wins. Petra, beautiful as it still is, is no longer a stronghold of any kind; it is a tourist attraction.
Thank you for being a part of the Route 66 Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day.
In Christ,
Margie Jackson
WHEN YOU GOT SAVED: Age 9
FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 3:5-6
FAMILY: Husband Bob, Children Jessica, Amanda (David), Rebecca, Will, Danny
DREAM VACATION: Somewhere out West