Page 5 - 11 April 2025

THE REPORTER 11 APRIL 2025 · PAGE 5

measured to you. Why do
You can download the free app EDWJ via Play Store. They have
you look at the speck of
included two versions of daily reading on the App, Contemporary
sawdust in your brother's eye
(New authors and a new format) and the Classic (The original Selwyn
and pay no attention to the
Hughes devotionals): plank in your own eye? How
can you say to your brother,
At one time or another, each slippery slope that we can "Let me take the speck out of
of us has felt judged or has slide down if we are not your eye," when all the time
My Father will love them, and judged. We have born the careful to tend our own there is a plank in your own
'What shall I return to the LORD for all his we will come to them and w e i g h t o f p e o p l e ' s hearts regularly. Jesus’ word eye? You hypocrite, first take
goodness to me?' (v12) make our home with them" judgements and have been 'hypocrite' stings - none of us the plank out of your own
Psalm 116:10-14 (John 14:23). guilty of contributing to the want to hear Him say that to eye, and then you will see
An action to take: When shame others have carried. us; we would much rather clearly to remove the speck
you think of goodness, what It's interesting here how hear, 'Well done, good and from your brother's eye. Do
God is good. Without God goodness really is. comes to mind and why? Jesus uses the metaphor of faithful servant.' Hebrews not give dogs what is sacred;
there is no goodness. To understand goodness, we vision to talk about how we 12:6 encourages us with the do not throw your pearls to
Without God, all that is left is need to look at God who is Lord, thank You that You are judge others. We use our words: 'The Lord disciplines pigs. If you do, they may
subjectivism, and reaching goodness. Jesus tells us, 'No good, and all You do towards eyes to see. the one He loves...' When we trample them under their
for what is right and best for one is good - except God me flows from that. Help me are willing to hear and learn feet, and turn and tear you
me. Notions of goodness, of alone' (Luke 18:19). God to know and receive Your We may notice a small from our good shepherd, He to pieces.'
moral goodness, are always acts in accordance goodness more and more. obstruction in another's eye leads us onto the right path. Psalm 51:10 13: Create in
associated with duty, and with what is right, true, and Amen. but miss a large obstruction Seeing the faults in others is me a pure heart, 0 God, and
virtue, and quickly becomes good. He is not capricious, Further study: Psalm in our own. To take the easy but, today, let's give our renew a steadfast spirit
dull and boring. A concept spiteful, or vindictive. 116:10-14: I trusted in the obstruction out of someone judgments of others to within me. Do not cast me
for conceptual conver- And, as the psalmist prays in LORD when I said, 'I am else's eye is to repair their Jesus and ask Him to start from your presence or take
sations about ethics and greatly afflicted'; in my alarm sight, but if our own sight is
Psalm 116, God is good by changing us. your Holy Spirit from me.
morality. Yet this is a towards us. Who He is, He I said, 'Everyone is a liar.' limited we risk damaging the Memory Verse: 'No one can Restore to me the joy of your
misunderstanding of good- acts out towards us. God What shall I return to the other persons eyesight even enter the kingdom of God salvation and grant me a
ness. Friedrich Nietzsche wants to bring more of LORD for all His goodness more. unless they are born of water willing spirit, to sustain me.
said, 'In heaven, all the Himself into our lives. First to me? I will lift up the cup of Jesus used the analogy of a and the Spirit. Flesh gives Then I will teach trans-
interesting people are the 'good' news of the salvation and call on the speck of sawdust and a birth to flesh, but the Spirit gressors your ways, so that
missing.' Or, to rephrase gospel, so we might be name of the LORD. I will fulfil plank of wood in the eye. His gives birth to spirit' (John sinners will turn back to you.
that, all the interesting saved and rescued into life my vows to the LORD in the crowd would have been able 3:5-6).
people are in Hell. We might w i t h H i m . T h e n t o presence of all His people. to relate as they used wood An action to take: Today, Hebrew 12:5 6: And have
protest this claim as being Psalm 34: 8: Taste and see in their homes or in their you completely forgotten
untrue, but how many experience more and more that the LORD is good... trades. Jesus was saying: pay special attention to the this word of encouragement
people wonder if Heaven will His goodness for us, to daily Luke 18:19: 'Why do you 'You have a really big foreign way you 'see' others. Are you that addresses you as a
quick to judge? How many
be boring, if full of good 'taste and see' His goodness call me good?' Jesus object distorting your sight, times do you pass judgment father addresses his son? It
people. Another mis- (Psalm 34:8). answered. 'No one is good - sort it out before you start on others in your day? Pay says, 'My son, do not make
understanding of goodness And to discover that a good except God alone.' paying attention to others' attention to how you talk light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when
is to reduce it to things and life with a good God is the James 1:17: Every good sight.' about others, whether they he rebukes you, because the
stuff. A good life is one full of most exciting life we could and perfect gift is from We don't talk about planks in are people you know or Lord disciplines the one He
provision. All this and similar ever have. above, coming down from our eyes in modern day, we strangers. loves, and He chastens
a s s o c i a t i o n s a b o u t Memory Verse: 'Jesus the Father of the heavenly tend to use the language of
goodness show that we have replied, "Anyone who loves tights, who does not change 'lenses'. Often, if we are A prayer to make: Lord, everyone He accepts as His
son.'
failed to understand what me will obey my teaching. like shifting shadows. forgive me for the times I
honest with ourselves, we have judged others. Forgive James 4:11-12: Brothers
can judge others through the me for the times I have and sisters, do not slander
lenses of our own hurt, entertained a critical spirit. one another. Anyone who
bitterness, disappointment, Help me to pay attention to speaks against a brother or
and jealousy. my own attitudes. Purify my sister or judges them speaks
All of these are foreign heart, that I may see others against the law and judges it.
objects blocking the not through my eyes but When you judge the law, you
eyesight of our heart, and through Yours. Amen. are not keeping it, but sitting
Jesus wants to help free us Matthew 7:1-6: 'Do not in judgment on it. There is
not only bless you, but
Genesis 37:25 NKJV from their power. None of us judge, or you too will be only one Lawgiver and
And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they others too. want to be a hypocrite, none judged. For in the same way Judge, the one who is able to
lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a And perhaps those others of us want to intentionally as you judge others, you will save and destroy. But you -
company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead will be in your own family, just project our own 'stuff' onto be judged, and with the who are you to judge your
as in the case of Joseph.
measure you use, it will be
others, but it is a subtle,
neighbour?
with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and
myrrh, on their way to carry them down to
Egypt.
If Abraham and Sarah had company of Ishmaelites."
been willing to wait a little These were the descendants
longer, Isaac would have of Ishmael, who was born to
been born and the promise Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's
of God fulfilled. But they maid. And where were these
became impatient, and as a Ishmaelites going? To Egypt!
result, Ishmael was born. "Then they lifted their eyes
One of the names given to and looked, and there was a
G o d i n S c r i p t u r e i s company of Ishmaelites,
"Redeemer," because He can coming from Gilead with
redeem our mistakes and their camels, bearing spices,
turn them into learning balm, and myrrh, on their
experiences; He can turn the way to carry them down to
mess you make into the Egypt... so the brothers
miracle you need. pulled Joseph up and lifted
him out of the pit, and sold
It took three generations, but
God turned the mess him to the Ishmaelites for
Abraham made into the twenty shekels of silver. And
miracle of deliverance they took Joseph to Egypt"
Joseph needed. Joseph's (vv. 25, 28 NKJV).
destiny was to be ruler of It's not over until God says
Egypt and save his family it's over.
and the world in time of He can turn the mess you
famine. But because his made in the past into a
brothers resented him, they miracle you need in the
sold him as a slave to "a future. And that miracle will

Psalm 42:11: "Why are you downcast, O my
soul? Why so troubled? Put your hope in God,
for I shall yet praise him, my Savior and my
God."