November 9, 2016: SOAP #2533:  Job 34; 1Corinthians 4-6

Scripture:  1Corinthians (NIV) 4:3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time, each will receive his praise from God.

Observation:   Paul knew that people were judging him and his ministry.  He would not let their criticism and condemnation stop him from doing what God had given him to do.  Fruit can be misjudged if eaten before it has had time to ripen, so Paul knew that many things need time to mature before the goodness or badness can be seen.  And in the final say, only the Lord can truly judge for He alone knows the motives of the heart.

Application:  When things do not work the way I hoped they would, I can trust that the Lord will be the final judge.  I can trust Him to give time for maturing.  I can trust Him to know my heart.  I also need to be careful about judging things around me.  Someone has said we tend to judge other by their actions but ourselves by our intentions.

Prayer:  Lord, you are the perfect judge.  By your Holy Spirit, help me to judge correctly.  Help me to see things as you see them.  Help me to be patient and encouraging to others growing in ministry.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!