Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 29, 2010

Stumbling Block or Stepping Stone?

Today’s devotion is Luke 17:1-2.
 
“He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!  “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.”  Luke 17:1-2. 
                                              

Are we a stumbling block causing others to fall down?  Or, are we a stepping stone causing others to step up?

What grace is there for us today to be that stepping stone?

Let us consider the story of a man “… called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement)”.  Acts 4:36. 

“And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.  The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.  Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;  for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.  And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.”  Acts 11:21-24. 

Do you witness grace and rejoice and encourage others?  Or, are you more eager to talk about the absence of grace and mourn and discourage others?

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.”  Romans 15:4-7. 

So, what may happen if we do not encourage others as we should?  The following Hebrews 3:13-19 shows a stumbling block of such lack of encouragement which is that others may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said,
    “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
     DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”

For who provoked Him when they had heard?  Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?  And with whom was He angry for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?  So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”  Hebrews 3:13-19.

“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:11

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