Tues.’s Devo - Premature Births

Read Ex. 21:22-25 The laws God set up show the depravity of man and what was going on in the land. God is a parent with many children that need laws to live by. All I can say is, I’m glad I’m not God! Today’s law reads: if there is a quarrel between men and a pregnant woman gets hurt and gives birth prematurely, the man who is responsible must pay. The father of the child determines a punishment and the judge decides if it is fair. If there continues to be trouble, then whatever one does to the other the same will be done to him. How do we relate this to today? Every time there is strife between groups of people there is collateral damage. When a church splits over man’s opinions then many people are hurt. We are all pregnant with vision, hope, spiritual babies, etc. If we are in the midst of a conflict and someone else causes us to get ahead of God’s plan and give birth prematurely, the responsibility is on him. This might play out as a person who puts a new believer in a place he or she is not mature enough to handle. The mistakes that new believer does are the responsibility of the leader who put him there. The “father of the child” could be the actual father, a pastor, or a mentor. He is the one who covers the “pregnant woman” and decides what should be done to restore restitution but God is the judge who ultimately decides what will happen. Any thing after that is evenly decided: if you take a life, yours will be taken; if you gossip about another person, they will gossip about you, etc. Lord, I admit I don’t totally understand all you are saying in these verses. This is a stab, but I pray that you will lead us into greater truth.