Daily Thought for Tuesday, June 21st

June 21, 2011

The Calamities of Others

Today’s Thought:

“Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.” – An English Proverb

Today’s Quote:

“A good deal of trouble has been caused in the world by too much intelligence and too little wisdom.” – Anonymous

Today’s Question

Doesn’t it seem like a natural cause and effect that: “He that seeks trouble always finds it?” – An English Proverb

Today’s Bible Verses:                   Obadiah 1:11-15

  In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.  But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;  Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.  For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

George Moore believes, “There is nothing so consoling as to find one’s neighbor’s troubles are at least as great as one’s own.”

Yet God says. “Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.” – The Bible (Proverbs 17:5)

Thinking on this topic reminds me of the parable that Jesus taught regarding the Good Samaritan.

How many of us when we see a brother or sister in distress, facing some calamity or another; pass by on the other side, and sadly then reach for our cell phone or race to our computer to share, in love with others?

What we should be doing is stopping to lend a hand and remembering to give thanks that but by the grace of God: that could be us facing that or a similar distress.

And regardless of what you are facing or what calamity you are gong through, know this, you can always find others whose problems are worse than yours.

Our responsibility as Christians, is not to delight in the calamities of others: but rather, to be an instrument of ministry to extend God’s love and to lend a helping hand.

Today’s Prayer:

Father, help me help others the way I would want to be helped, if I found myself in the same place that they may be.