The Right Bonds

Based on Job 14-16, Acts 9:22-43

Who are we connected with? What do we put our hope in? Sometimes, if we are not careful, the bonds & connections we tie ourselves to will keep us in bondage, unless God divinely intervenes to change the hearts of those involved! Remember, we need to be encouragers! We must speak the Truth in LOVE (Ephesians 4:15)! We must have a bond of friendship that people can trust, because we let God shine through us! We need to point people to Jesus, to have a bond with Him first, so that they will be truly liberated!

"I also could speak as ye do: If your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, And shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips should asswage your grief. Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: And though I forbear, what am I eased?"

Job 16:4‭-‬6

Job seems to no longer trust his friends. He kept hoping they'd speak a Word from The Lord, something which would help to build up his strength instead of tearing him down...but they did not do that. They just beat Job further into his sorrows with the daggers of their words! They were keeping him in the bondage of his circumstances instead of speaking of what the power, love & mercy of God can do! Although (spoiler alert!) God DOES divinely intervene on Job's behalf and allows his friends to have a change of heart & repent, at this moment in particular, these were the wrong bonds for Job to have!

"And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus." Acts 9:26‭-‬27

Let's try to be like Barnabas! No one else trusted Paul, at least not in the early stages of Paul's conversion & ministry. But Barnabas saw his work & knew that he wanted to do what was right, and he had a heart to serve The Lord. So, he stood up for him and spoke encouraging words! In fact, Barnabas did the same for John Mark! It was what Barnabas was known for! Barnabas represented the patience, mercy & compassion of Christ which we should all have. His bonds with Christ through prayer & The Word must have been strong in order to stand up for those who didn't seem like the "typical disciple." When our bonds with Christ are strong, building our relationship each day through prayer & His Word, we can develop meaningful bonds & relationships with others. We should always examine ourselves & those around us, seeing whether or not there is discouragement, or encouragement. With the right bonds, we are free!!