Daily Devotions
“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:25
Abraham Lincoln once gave a famous “house divided” speech aimed at preserving and restoring the Union. Although his actual Biblical quote comes from a statement of Jesus that Satan cannot drive out Satan (therefore Jesus could not be possessed by Satan), it nevertheless raises the question: Is your house divided?
Is your life divided against itself? Are you sometimes Dr. Jekyll and sometimes Mr. Hyde? You want to live for Jesus, but often live for yourself. You want to go to church, but sometimes find it easier to stay in bed.
Is your family divided against itself? Jacob and Esau fought, although they were brothers. Absalom rebelled against his own father, David. In what ways does your family scrap, undermine, and shatter the unity which God intends?
Is your church divided against itself? Jews and Gentiles, with their differing cultural backgrounds and traditions, clashed in the early church. The congregation in ancient Corinth was plagued by factions. Similar conflicts can and do arise today.
The ultimate division pits Christ against Satan. Satan unites with the world and our sinful flesh to war against God. The battle rages fiercely and reveals itself in our divided lives. See the house divided for what it is – Satan versus God.
Who can unite our lives? Jesus Christ is united with the Father and the Holy Spirit. His life, death, and resurrection, united with the Father’s will, works salvation and restores unity between God and humanity. The Spirit rules the flesh. We have power to fight Satan. Christ unites our families through His cross, giving us love to share and forgiveness to heal our divisions. He unites our churches through His pure, inspired Word and the unifying sacraments.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, bring us together in Your love. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988 CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)