Day 4 - Have you ever pre-judged some one? Who is our ultimate Judge?

GENESIS 11:1-31; 12:1-14:24
1CHRONICLES 1:24-27 (NIV)

Prejudging can be one of the hardest things to get past when you are first meeting a person or learning of a person from a family member or friend. What does this do to you if they prove your initial thoughts wrong?

In Genesis 11:10-20 Abram went to Egypt to escape famine. Taking his wife he knew that the Egyptian Pharaoh would think she was beautiful and try to take Abrams life. Abram decided to allow the Pharaoh to think that she was his sister and in doing this allowed her to do so the Pharaoh took her as his own wife. Instead of Abram putting faith in the Lord to protect himself, his wife, and bless their marriage he caused the Lord to inflict disease on the Pharaoh and his entire household. Instead of Pharaoh doing what Abram thought he would do if he brought his beautiful wife to the country as a wife, Pharaoh told his men to send him on his way, with his wife, and everything he owned. He spared Abram his life and gave back the woman he had taken as his wife for the time he had her. Does sound like a man that would kill another man just to take his wife? OR do you think that he spared Abrams life and gave him back everything that was his because of what serious disease the Lord had placed on him? We may never know the answer to this.

What we as humans do know is exactly how easy it is to judge. It is easy to judge a person by appearance, clothing, color of skin, hair color, attitude, and wealth. I am not saying that initial impression doesn't mean something. What I am saying is it shouldn't be the judge of your whole opinion. In learning of someone from a family member or a friend (without ever physically meeting a person), what do we learn? We learn what the person telling us about that individual wants us to know. We usually only hear extremely possitive or extremely negative information. What right do we have to then judge that person? Do we have the right if after being told the negative, to not like a person, to not desire to meet the person, or to not trust the person? After meeting someone who I had heard an awful lot about last night, I learned that the initial judgment that I had cast was wrong. After talking for a good while, it was clear... the opinions we form about a person after meeting them depends on the way they talk to you, the way they look at life, the way they care about others, the way they love, the way they support the ones they "love", and they way they take care of the ones they love. Needless to say, I was trying to learn about a person who turned out to be who I initially thought he was through conversations. There is disappointment in me, there is hurt and anger. When I say I was wrong last night, this is what I mean: God is not calling me to judge! He is not asking for my opinion on the people that He put here on this earth. What He is doing is calling me to love. Right now I will not love the person I met, what I will do is love the person who caused us to meet. Praying for Gods perfect plan in both of their lives to be evident. Praying for a closeness that once there with Christ that can be there once again!

You see, Abram judged and God made His wrath known. Do you think Abram was sorry to God? to his wife? to the Pharaoh? God has an ultimate plan for each of us. His judgment and His will should be the only thing that our focus is on - NOT for others, for ourselves. When is the last time that you looked at yourself as others see you? What do you think their judgment of you would be? Will they see Christ in your life? Will they see the love you have for your Lord, your spouse, and your children or will it be the love that is for the sin in your life, your job, or your belongings? I challenge myself: do not be swayed by the words of others, learn the truth, remember that Gods judgment is coming! He is our ultimate Judge!!!

Very Respectfully,
Leslie

I will not be condemned by God, I have been set free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2