SCRIPTURE: Mark (NIV) 15:15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.
OBSERVATION: From the various scriptures within the context of the above verse, it is easy to understand that Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and clearly not deserving of death. But Pilate had a problem. He was more concerned about pleasing people than about pleasing justice.
APPLICATION: The desire to please others can cause me to do or not do many things. I need to carefully consider who I am pleasing. The thought process of both big and small decisions should include the question, “Who am I pleasing,” and “Who will be displeased?”
People will tell me that I should make my own decisions and not care about what others think, but to ignore what God thinks is to miss the greatest source of wisdom available to me. I must remember that I was created to love God and to honor him with my choices.
Knowing that God is omniscient, all-knowing, the wisest thing I can do is to listen to Him and do as He directs. My wisdom in no way matches His wisdom! The wisdom of the wisest man on earth does not match His wisdom!
In looking back on my 77 years, I can see wisdom in the steps I have taken in preparation for writing SOAPs. But I must be quick to say that they were not the steps I would have taken, but they were the steps God planned for me. In His wisdom, He was preparing me to write SOAPs.
“Make God Smile!” The earlier in life you make that the goal of your life, the more you will be smiling when you reach 77!
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, “Who am I pleasing?” bring this question to my mind many times throughout today. Amen
Pastor Leon
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