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The Fruits of a Soft Answer

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

The Fruits of a Soft Answer
Today's Text:
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1
The Message:

     Abigail's manner and conciliatory gifts softened the spirit of David. He declared that it had been his intention to destroy Nabal and his household, but that now he would refrain from vengeance, for he believed that she had been sent by the Lord to prevent him from doing so great an evil. He promised that her request should be ever remembered, even when he should sit as ruler over Israel, and he would never seek retaliation for the insult of Nabal.

     Although Nabal had refused the needy company of David and his men, yet that very night he made an extravagant feast for himself and his riotous friends, and indulged in eating and drinking till he sank in drunken stupor. The next day after the effects of his drunken debauch had somewhat passed away, his wife told him of how near he had been to death, and of how the calamity had been averted.... Palsied with horror, he sat down and never recovered from the shock.

     From this history we can see that there are circumstances under which it is proper for a woman to act promptly and independently, moving with decision in the way she knows to be the way of the Lord. The wife is to stand by the side of the husband as his equal, sharing all the responsibilities of life, rendering due respect to him who has selected her for his life-long companion. "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he [referring to Christ] is the saviour of the body," or church.... When the Spirit of Christ controls the husband, the wife's subjection will result only in rest and benefit, for he will require from her only that which will result in good, and in the same way that Christ requires submission from the church....

     When the husband has the nobility of character, purity of heart, and elevation of mind that every true Christian must possess, it will be made manifest in the marriage relation. If he has the mind of Christ he will not be a destroyer of the body, but will be full of tender love, seeking to reach the highest standard in Christ. He will seek to keep his wife in health and courage....

     The Lord Jesus has not been correctly represented in His relation to the church by many husbands in their relation to their wives, for they do not keep the way of the Lord.... It was not the design of God that the husband should have control, as head of the house, when he himself does not submit to Christ.-Manuscript 17, 1891 (Manuscript Releases 21:214, 215).
Commentary:

My friend, every true follower of Christ will be in subjection to God through His Son.  This subjection comes only as we yield control of our lives to the indwelling of Jesus within our hearts.  As we are thus in subjection to Him, it is not us that lives but Christ that lives within us.  Then as we go throughout our day, we will walk in harmony to the law of God.

Too many of us today are professing to be Christ's, but continue to sit upon the throne of our hearts.  If we are to be saved we must have Christ dwelling within our hearts that we may be saved.  Many of us have deceived ourselves into thinking that we are Christ's when we are not.  The prophet Jeremiah speaking for God says this "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9).

The only way that we can discern our true natures is in how we react to the various trials in our lives.  If Christ is living within us, we will react in a Christlike manner, not just in our outward actions, but in our hearts as well.  For it is in a crisis that character is revealed.  God gives us numerous opportunities to see our true characters that we may come and surrender our lives to Him.

In the last days, when the final test comes to all, the character that we have developed during the time of probation will be revealed.  The Spirit of God will be working upon all hearts, impressing upon them the way of the Lord.  Those who yield to the Spirit of Christ and invite Him into their hearts will be enabled to stand during that time.  Those who resist this final appeal of God will grieve away His Spirit and be left in darkness.

My friend, the only way that we can prepare for the trials of the last days is to surrender our hearts fully to Jesus, inviting Him into our lives that we may be transformed into His image.  The more that a person resists the working of Christ's Spirit, the closer they are coming to grieving Him away forever.

May you look unto the One true God through His Son Jesus Christ and invite Him into your heart today.

God bless,
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