“And he answering said, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.’ And He said unto him, ‘Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live.’  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”    
 Luke 10:27-29
 
Unlike the governing Jews in ancient Jerusalem, Samaritans were more secular Jews who intermarried within other groups, causing multiracial, multilingual, and multicultural traditions to be practiced and conveyed within their group. It was the belief of the governing Jews that Samaritans were inferior due to their “impure” bloodline and cross-cultural traditions. On both sides, those within each group considered avoidance to be the only discrete way of dealing with each other. 
This makes the parable Jesus offered in Luke 10:25 to the lawyer who asked, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” so remarkable.  Lawyers, like Pharisees, were students of the law.  And, like the Pharisees, Scribes, Priests and Levites;  lawyers were considered part of elite of society.  Their knowledge of both governing law, and doctrinal law gave them the opportunity to commune with all members of the social elite, and similarly, a common person or peasant could not simply evoke an audience with any of them, much less a Samaritan.

Jesus responds by asking the lawyer, “What is written in the Law?  How have you interpreted it?”  The lawyer says to Him, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus commends him by saying, “You have answered right, do this and you shall live.” But like any good attorney, he has to ask God’s Holiest Witness to clarify His statement; after all, we are talking about eternal life. So, knowing that he does not interact with the “common folks” of society, the lawyer asks for a specific clarification, asking, “And, who is my neighbor?” 

Today when we read this, we have to laugh, because, it is so easy to hear our own voice saying, “Uh, uh. (hands folded across your chest.) And, who exactly is my neighbor? It better not be Shirley down the street or that guy Rodney in apartment 3-B!  You know I can’t stand them! I would sooner walk over them in the street!”

So, just like the rest of us, he forgets that he cannot entrap God.  He forgot that questions posed to God, although entertained when asked, were created and already answered by our omnipotent, omniscient Creator.  Jesus entertains his question by offering the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-36), where a man, robbed, wounded, and left dying in the street is passed over by both a Priest and a Levite. 
At first I wondered why Jesus chose a Priest and a Levite; but then, I realized that the man who lay wounded in the street was their social peer—himself a member of the social elite.  How do we know?  The Bible says the man’s clothing was stolen. Even by today’s standards, if you are the victim of a robbery, the crooks will take your money; however, if they take your clothing, it’s because you have something they truly cannot afford.  The priest sees the man in the ditch and crosses the street. The Levite comes over, looks into the face of the man, and then crosses the street! 
A Samaritan sees the man, tends to his wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays the proprietor to take care of him, promising to take care of any further expenses the proprietor incurs upon his return to the area. 
So, the question Jesus asks is, “Which one of the three do you think were the wounded man’s neighbors?”  We can imagine Jesus watching the lawyer as he arrives at God’s desired conclusion stating, “The one who showed compassion on him.”  Jesus, probably looking at the lawyer directly in the eyes, charges him by saying, “Go and do likewise.”  This too is our charge! 
Interacting with others who are culturally and socially different can bring you social enlightenment and new friends, stretching your love and compassion far beyond your own preconceived capabilities. Not to mention, it just may be that very last component that actually moves you closer to God and gets you into heaven.  L.

Study Reference: Luke 10:25-36  
From:"Loving Your Neighbors." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.”  Isaiah 49:16 

The Bible chronicles the life of King David from the time he was a shepherd defeating Goliath, to his anointing as king of Israel, his countless exploits, and his eventual death.  We know the episodes of his deepest despair and his most amazing triumphs. And, although God called him “...A man after Mine own heart,” (Acts 13:22) David was not allowed to administer the immense undertaking that would become The Tabernacle of God; a building worthy enough to hold the Ark of the Covenant.  While we look at David’s life, it is easy for readers to see how the Spirit of God governed his life, both as a youth, and as an adult.  We can easily understand those times when God was displeased with his actions; as in, his disobedience in taking a census, which resulted in the death of 70,000 people as his penalty; or, his affair with Bathsheba, which resulted in both the death of her husband and David’s child. 

For the most part, many of you are successful in your own right. You have worked hard, studied well, and persevered so you can now reap the benefits of a decent life. Chances are, you have probably made your family proud of your accomplishments.  So, why is it so easy to see the Hand of God in the minute details of David’s life and not in your own? Why do we continually believe God is not watching, caring, and/or faithfully ordering our steps as we remain faithful to Him? 

This week, it is all about Thanksgiving—a sincere gratitude for all things in our lives, whether it has the appearance of bad or good, success or failure.  Why?  Because, sometimes the things that appear to be a blessing can become a burden; and, the things that appear to be a curse, can transform our spirits and be an enormous blessing in our lives.  Let’s take the time to put things into perspective and thank God for His love, guidance, mercy, and forgiveness, because without it, it is impossible to fully live.   L.   

Study Reference: Isaiah 48:17, 49:1, 49:16, & Hebrew 10:35-36   
From:"Thanksgiving." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

 “…And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  Jesus answered, Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”  John 9:1-3
 
Nick Vujicic is an amazing young man who was born with no arms or legs. He often speaks about his life as an international motivational speaker, traveling throughout the U.S., India, Africa, China, and South America, telling others about his love for Jesus Christ. Nick also travels the world speaking about the abundant blessings on his life, in an attempt to achieve a personal goal of leading 15 million people to Christ.  The thing I found most intriguing about him was his optimistic attitude about life, his pragmatic outlook on his missing limbs, and his powerful ability to persevere. 
He spoke about the first time he read the biblical story of the blind man in John 9:1-41, who was healed by Jesus after washing himself in the pool of Siloam.  As Nick was reading today’s verse, he felt so blessed when he read the last line, that he literally stopped asking God for limbs! He realized that the way he was born was a testament to God’s miracle and love in his life.  There was no reason to ask God “why” any longer, no reason to ask what his life’s purpose was; he understood!  However, it was his statement about having an afterlife conversation with Jesus that truly gave me pause; it went something like this:

“I imagine Jesus asking me two questions, number one; Why did you ask for limbs, didn’t you understand that I created you for My Glory?  You are my walking, breathing miracle! And, number two; whom did you bring with you?”

Both questions are quite powerful for every person, with or without a disability!  When we look in the mirror, somehow we needlessly want to change the way we were designed by God. We believe we are too fat, too thin, too dark, too light, too short, and too tall, to name a few. In our minds, something is always wrong with the way we were created.  Often, as Christians, we forget that we are supposed to glorify God in all we do, lifting the hearts and minds of those whom we come in contact with, helping them to eventually see Jesus.  How can we do this if we are endlessly complaining about superficial things? 

As I watched Nick’s exuberance for Jesus, his acceptance of his life situation, and his optimistic outlook on his mission to save the world, I thought about this; the next time you feel like grumbling about any aspect of your life, or your lack of abundance in any way, check out one of the videos on our Media page. There you can see more about his life and hear his personal testimony.  It will cure what ails you, possibly motivating you to respect the life you have, in the abundance God has allocated to you.  Remember, when it comes to God, no one is insignificant; every person counts. Even you!   L. 

Study Reference: John 9:1-41, Psalm 139:13-18  
From: "Tested For Abundance."  In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee.”   Ezekiel 28:15
 
There’s nothing wrong with being unsure of yourself; in most instances, insecurity compels us to practice in the areas where we are the most insecure.  For instance, if you have a fear of speaking in public, you can take public speaking classes at Toastmasters International, a group known for aiding others with the same insecurity. The same thing goes for singing, dancing, acting, cooking, etc. and just about anything else you would like to become adept in.  The more you practice, the better you will become. 

Now’s here’s the catch.  Chances are, even if you become good enough to be more secure than you were when you started, the craft you are practicing will probably not be your gift. It will not be the thing most people call your “God-given” talent.  There will always be someone better who can easily do, in his or her sleep, what you must work excruciatingly hard at, just to be mediocre.  It’s their talent, not yours. Often, people who are extremely gifted at one thing tend to be gifted in other areas. They learn to appreciate a level of excellence in whatever task they undertake.  They also have no difficulty in appreciating the exceptional talents and gifts of others.  If you are one of those people, you will recognize yourself in the statement. However, when insecurity turns evil it becomes envy; and, this is where the tables turn. There are those who, in their insecurity, despise the talents and gifts of those who tend to be better at using their gifts.  Insecurity travels through all levels of life, from childhood to the workplace; from the workplace to church; from church to playtime on the basketball court.  It is not something new; it began with Lucifer, the most vocally gifted and beautifully stunning of all angels. 

God gave Lucifer multiple gifts; in addition to being one of the most beautiful angels in Heaven, his angelic skin was covered in every gem imaginable and unimaginable by man.  The Bible says, his voice was a combination of tabrets (drums) and pipes. So, we can only imagine when he came into God’s presence to sing, his gem-covered skin shone like the morning sun.  When he sang, his voice not only chimed in the eight-octaves of the most magnificent organ you’ve ever heard, it had its own back-beat to boot!   Yet somehow, he still wanted more!  
In Isaiah 14:13-14, the Bible says,

“For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.”

God gave him extraordinary gifts; however, being the most beautiful angel with an orchestral sound emanating from his throat was not enough—he wanted to be God! 

When we envy others for the gifts God bestowed on them, we negate our own gifts.  We become the lone man in the parable of the talents who buried his talent because he was too busy grumbling about receiving only one.  If you are insecure about your talent, learn from the best; practice the art until you are satisfied with your level of success.  But, do not fall prey to what I prefer to call, The Lucifer Syndrome, allowing your insecurity to lead you into envying others for their gifts; it will only negate your own blessed gifts, and lead you to destruction.  L.  

Study Reference: Ezekiel 28:13-19, Matthew 25:14-30  
From;"The Lucifer Syndrome."  In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell