The Law in 90 Days: Deuteronomy 27-28
RESTORING Relationships
Matthew 7:3; Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention
to the plank in your own eye?
Jesus told us that an evil heart would produce evil deeds. The outward sins we’ve dealt with
over the past few days – gossip, slander, arrogance, abuse – all stem from the inward pride and
selfishness of the heart. This pride and self-love blinds us to our own sin while our envy and hatred
amplifies the sin of others.
Many relationships have been ruined by judgement. A judgemental thought is what entices us to
gossip or spurs us on to slander. Judgement is subtle, but deadly, as it slowly changes our attitude
towards others. The enemy plants a suggestive thought – a lie – and we latch onto it. We are
suddenly suspicious of one who has been a good friend. The enemy likes to train us to champion
ourselves over others, to take delight in the moral wipeouts of our friends and relations. The flesh
takes comfort in even the pettiest of things: “she may be a beautiful singer, but at least I’m better
dressed.” The enemy will do whatever it takes to pin us down, and for some of us, vanity is the
easiest knock-out.
Sin is sin, putting us all on an equal playing field before God: sinful man before holy God. When
we judge someone, we place ourselves in authority to pronounce them as guilty before the Lord,
but we have not been given this authority. Our declaration is null and void and only plagues our
hearts and infects our relationships. And Jesus precedes this verse with a stiff warning: “With the
judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to
you.”
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God how He would like to convict you through today’s teaching. How does the final
paragraph put the fear of the Lord in you? Repent of judgemental behaviour and patterns in
your life.
2. Is the Lord your source of contentment in life, or is your happiness pinned on other people
and situations?
3. Ask God to heighten your awareness to your judgemental thoughts so that you can repent
and turn from the temptation. Ask Him how you need to redirect your thoughts when this
happens.
