Jeremiah 51:15 – “The LORD has made the earth by his power, he has established the world by his wisdom, and has stretched out heaven by his understanding.”

The theme of my heart today is God’s immensity, His deep love, and our responsibility before Him and to ourselves and others.  Sensing our responsibility to God is readily apparent to most.  Sensing or knowing our responsibility to ourselves is visible to many.  But others?  That is a horse of another color. 

We sometimes allow stinkin’ thinkin’ to prevail.  We say things like, “Do you know what they did?  Do you know they are not living, right?  Do you know, they keep making the same irreligious mistakes?  My responsibility to others, what is that?“

We need to see that anything in God requires us to see what Jeremiah declared, God is the Creator with all power and wisdom.  He knows everything. 

Jeremiah 51:36 – “Therefore thus says the LORD Behold, I will plead your cause, and take vengeance for you; I will dry up the sea of Babylon and make her springs dry.”

God pleads our case, and when retribution is proper, He exacts vengeance – WE DO NOT!  But we sometimes try to, and we pray against them rather than for them!  That is a vast difference. 

We discover in Romans 12-15 that the consistent message is that the strong spiritually care for the spiritually weak. That is taxing and requires more effort, compassion, and patience than most have learned.

If, as Romans 12 declares, I belong to God totally and have a gift or gifts from Him, my purpose is peace and nurture of others.  In Romans 12:18, he says, “If possible. So far as depends on you, be at peace with everyone.”   We protest, “But Lord…”  Romans 13:10 reminds us that love does not do evil against others.  Love for God, which allows us to love ourselves rightly, is translated into loving the unlovable and the loveable.   Hard?  Yes, but commanded by God.   Not manufactured or pretended but an outflow of the love in us.

Romans 14:1 instructs us to accept the one who is weak in faith and not judge them or look down on them. Remember, we were weak and still are in some areas.  We live for, in, and through Christ.  In that respect, we live for others and are our brother’s keepers.

Romans 15:1 – “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weakness of those without strength and not just to please ourselves.”  It is not about us!  Romans 15:7 tells us to accept one another JUST AS Jesus accepted us. 

It is critical to remember that we accept, but we do not endorse or justify evil.  We pray for, love, and provide godly examples rather than spewing forth condemnation and judgment.  We are not God.  We, too, have flaws. 

Romans 16:17-20 is powerful and revelatory.   A professing Christian who causes division and dissension is to be noted.  They cause others to stumble and war against the body’s unity.  We do not embrace or enable evil, BUT we love and pursue peace (God’s peace, not just an absence of conflict).

We are to focus on our responsibility to God, to ourselves and, get that in harmony with God’s Word, and respond to others JUST AS Jesus. Then…  Romans 16:20 – “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”   Peace will come to our house (our homes, businesses, and churches).

• A correct view of God and our purpose is step one.
• A correct view of who we are and how we are to live and think is step two.
• Strengthening the weak, encouraging everyone, and demonstrating the Love of God to everyone is step three.

We should ask the Father to help us to prioritize rightly and relate biblically and godly.  Ask Him to transform us into manifestations and demonstrations of Jesus.   Then, we can declare, “Father, I give myself to You.” 

Today is the day of a new journey that produces God’s Peace and Power.  No weapon can stand, and no stronghold can remain.  We bow to God and set our hearts to be Who He says we are!  

May Heaven’s rich and bountiful blessings flow to and through you today!