GLADLY RECEIVE REBUKE
BREAD
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. Proverbs 27:6 (NIV)
5 Let a righteous man strike me–it is a kindness; let him rebuke me–it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers. Psalm 141:5 (NIV)
23 He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue. Proverbs 28:23 (NIV)
22 “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.” Proverbs 1:22-23 (NIV)
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:10-11 (NIV)
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel. Proverbs 27:9 (NIV)
1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” 5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 11 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.” 2 Samuel 12:1-14 (NIV)
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. Acts 9:1-9 (NIV)
BUTTER
“It is never pleasant to see more of my own sin and to feel more of the awful weight of its consequences, but I wouldn’t trade my small army of reprovers for anything. As wisdom says, ‘Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear’ (Proverbs 25:12). I have worn my friendships with these men proudly and jealously. I have treasured the sweet aroma their hard words have produced in my faith, life, and relationships: ‘Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel’ (Proverbs 27:9). Who in your life is mostly likely to reprove you? Are you forfeiting a gift more precious than gold, and rejecting something sweeter than oil and perfume? Have you avoided making the friends you really need, and so refused to be rebuked? By nature, we seem to have an allergy to reproof (maybe an intolerance, at least a strong sensitivity), but Proverbs says that reproof is a rare pearl to be prized. Fools reject and avoid reproof. The wise know its preciousness, and do whatever necessary to have it. The wise man says, ‘Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid’ (Proverbs 12:1).” Marshall Segal
“God encourages us and we are to encourage others. We do this through the Scriptures as they are the ultimate “Paraklesis” – encouragement, aid, help, comfort, exhortation, consolation and comfort. Are we familiar enough with God’s Word to share its life-giving, strengthening, comforting Truths? When we know the Word we have something of infinite benefit to share with and encourage others.” BHY
“There is only one rescuer I know,” I told Sonia and the rest of the women, “with the power to free us from the darkest prison. That rescuer is the God I love, who loves us so much he left everything to come for us, to free us. He is the one who made us, each of us, for a unique purpose and a magnificent destiny. He makes right what the world makes wrong. His plans are for good, not for evil. His ways are straight and merciful. He came to give me a hope and a future — and to give you one too. His promises are true. His love is full of forgiveness and peace, joy and kindness, grace. He is the true rescuer. He saves us from any prison, whether physical or emotional or spiritual, the ones we’re forced into and the ones we fall into on our own. He chooses us. He can make all things new. He loves us without condition, unrelentingly, forever. He loves us broken, and he loves making us whole again. And he asks those of us who love him to love others the same way. To choose them. To be agents of his hope, his forgiveness, his grace. He asks us to join him in rescuing others. “That’s why I’m here,” I said. “That’s why I’ve come……………“If what you are telling me is true,” she yelled, “if what you say about your God is true — then where were you? Where have you been? Why didn’t you come sooner? Why didn’t you come sooner? I would not offer excuses…” From Undaunted by Christine Caine
“God will not give us an assignment and then just walk away to let us do the work alone. He provides the resources we need to get the job done. He walks with us every step of the way, guiding us and encouraging us. He will never abandon us when we allow Him to work through us. In the words of the psalmist, ‘. . . you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel’ (Psalm 73:23-24).” Michael Youssef
“Many people today feel guilty for one simple reason: they are guilty. The Bible says we are all guilty before a holy God. And all the psychological counseling in the world cannot relieve a person of that guilt. You can pretend it’s not there or find someone else to blame for your problems, but the only real and effective way to remove guilt is to get to the root of the problem, which plainly is sin. There are a lot of people today who have a guilty conscience. That is what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, discovered. One day he decided to play a joke on 12 of his friends. He sent them all a message that said, “Flee at once. All is discovered.” And within 24 hours, all 12 of his friends had left the country. I think that is having a guilty conscience. It was just a joke. Nothing was discovered. But these people felt so guilty about something that they got out as quickly as they could. Guilt can be good—it can be God’s warning system to alert us to a problem. When I am beginning to do something wrong, guilt kicks in. It says, “Stop! Red alert! Don’t go any further. This is a bad thing.” Guilt is there to remind us we are crossing the line, and we should not go any further. Do you have a guilty conscience? Maybe God is telling you something. Maybe you should pay attention to your conscience. Then you can be refreshed by the presence of the Lord.” Greg Laurie
“Seek the advice of your betters in preference to following your own inclinations.” Thomas a Kempis
“Do not be afraid to hear the hard. Weigh counsel against the Truth of God’s Word. If the shoe fits deal with it through the Holy Spirit’s power. Wallowing in a wayward way gets you nowhere fast and keeps you from experiencing God’s best for your life – His richest blessings and peace. ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death’ (Proverbs 14:12). Thank those who are willing to tell you the hard things – for your good, for His glory.” BHY
HEART SAVOR
• Remember wounds from a friend can be trusted.
• If the exhortation fits, face it and change through the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s children can escape all temptation, look for the way out which God will provide. Scripture states: 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
• We are all in process or we would be at home with the Lord. Don’t get discouraged though you have tried and failed and tried and failed. Get up, turn in repentance and go forward in His power for His glory. It is God Who arms us with strength for the battle and makes our path clear enabling us to stand firm in His good and pleasing and perfect will.
Beth Yoe's Sharing Bread 