Sun.’s Devo - Don’t Judge

Read: 1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17; Romans 2:1-24; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 19:8-9
The ark, and all the priests and Levites that attended it were left in the city of David which was Jerusalem. After the celebration of bringing the ark back was over, all the people returned home including David. David had had his palace built but he realized that there was no home or house for the Lord. David was living in cedar and the Lord was living in a tent. David wanted to build a temple for the ark to dwell in, so he told his prophet Nathan his dream. Nathan told David to do whatever was in his heart but as Nathan was leaving his visit with David, God spoke to him and told him to go back and tell him what He said, not what Nathan thought was right. God said that he had never been contained to a house, but had moved with his people. He had never asked for a house. He reminded David of how he had chosen him from being a shepherd and exalted him to be the king of all Israel and Judah. As for David, God would build him a house and his offspring would build a house for the Lord. The one coming after David will be nothing like his predecessor, Saul. In Solomon, God would establish David’s throne forever.
David was overwhelmed at this revelation that Nathan brought him. He couldn’t believe that God would honor him and his offspring in such a way.
David went on to defeat all of his enemies and take spoils. He took all the gold, silver, bronze and precious gems and had his craftsmen use them in making all the furniture to go into God’s house.
In Romans, Paul gives us some great revelation. When we judge others, we are only doing ourselves harm. Our judgment will come back to judge us. I try to remember that every time I say something bad about someone, someone will say something bad about me. I think that this is one of the hardest things not to do. Paul reminds us that it is not our job to judge. Everyone will be judged in the end. Those who sought to do righteousness and lived in repentance will be raised to eternal life and those who were not repentant are just storing up wrath against their own selves.
Paul goes on to explain that we aren’t all brought up under the law of Moses as Jews, but we all have a conscience which becomes our law. When we defile either one of those, we have to repent. We can only be judged for things that haven’t been put under the blood of Jesus. So, our only hope is to stay repentant. When we find ourselves judging others, repent, and it won’t be held against us.
Lord, help us not to defile our conscience but to live in humility and forgiveness of ourselves and others.