"He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry." Psalm 147:9
“ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:13-14
“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:18
Jesus is the only way to God!
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19
One of the seven things the Lord particularly hates is “he that soweth discord among brethren”. What is discord?
The Online Entomological Dictionary’s entry for “discord” reads, “early 13c., descorde, “unfriendly feeling, ill will;” also “dissension, strife,” from Old French descorde (12c.) “disagreement,” from Latin discordia, from discors (genitive discordis) “disagreeing, disagreement,” from dis- “apart” (see dis-) + cor (genitive cordis) “heart,” from PIE root *kerd- “heart.”
Musical sense “want of harmony between two notes sounded together; a combination of notes not in harmony with one another” is from late 14c.
Part of the meaning of discord is “strife”. Of many things that cause strife Proverbs 26:21 tells us, “ As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.” Proverbs 26: 21
What does contentious mean? According to the Online Etymological Dictionary contentious means,” quarrelsome, apt to contend . . . a vigorous struggling, a contest, a fight,”.
Part of contentious means “contest”. To be contentious is to be making a contest out of everything. Contention is one thing that caused so much division and fighting in the Lord’s Churches and among His people.
Luke 22:24 tells us, “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.”
When we are contentions we want to be the greatest. We want everyone to look at us and see how great we are.
I Corinthians 3:3 reads, “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men.”
James 3:16 tells us, ” For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
When you envy someone you are comparing yourself to them. You are making a contest. And this is a cause of strife and discord among God’s people.
Galatians 5:26 says, “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Constantly making a contest can not only provoke others to strife but it can also kindle our own strife and make us mad at another person for no reason.
Proverbs 30:33 says, ”Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.”
II Corinthians 10:12 tells us, “[B]ut they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
Mark 10:44-45 says, ”And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
We aren’t here to be popular. We are working because of what Jesus Christ did for us, regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Philippians 2:2-5 tells us, “ Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
These have been just a few thoughts. God bless.
Photo by NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope “cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 — more commonly known as WR 124 — and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it.”
When Ravens Cry 