Try to Make Restitution
"If I have cheated anybody... I will pay back four times the amount." Luke 19:8 NIV
If you've defrauded someone, God expects you to make restitution. Don't sweep it under the rug and try to save face. Zacchaeus was a first-century con artist who worked for the Romans collecting taxes from his own people, the Jews. He fleeced everything that walked. The Bible says he was rick (v. 2 NKJV). Filthy rich! But after spending a night with Jesus, he was radically changed. How do we know this? Because he said: "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus taught, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 3:8 NIV). But sometimes it's not possible to make amends to the person you've hurt. What if they're dead? What if you had an affair with someone else's spouse? Should you go back and tell their husband or wife about it so you can feel less guilty? No, you'd break their heart and maybe destroy their home. So what should you do? Pray and receive God's forgiveness (See 1 John 1:7-9). And if you still feel troubled about it, talk to your pastor, or a Christian counselor, or a mature friend who can handle it. James writes, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed" (James 5:16 NIV). The point is, you must be willing to make amends when it's possible, and willing to incur the cost to make things right. If you do that, God will bless you and you can live with a clear conscience concerning it.
This message taken from: Daily Devotional - The Word for You Today
If you've defrauded someone, God expects you to make restitution. Don't sweep it under the rug and try to save face. Zacchaeus was a first-century con artist who worked for the Romans collecting taxes from his own people, the Jews. He fleeced everything that walked. The Bible says he was rick (v. 2 NKJV). Filthy rich! But after spending a night with Jesus, he was radically changed. How do we know this? Because he said: "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus taught, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 3:8 NIV). But sometimes it's not possible to make amends to the person you've hurt. What if they're dead? What if you had an affair with someone else's spouse? Should you go back and tell their husband or wife about it so you can feel less guilty? No, you'd break their heart and maybe destroy their home. So what should you do? Pray and receive God's forgiveness (See 1 John 1:7-9). And if you still feel troubled about it, talk to your pastor, or a Christian counselor, or a mature friend who can handle it. James writes, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed" (James 5:16 NIV). The point is, you must be willing to make amends when it's possible, and willing to incur the cost to make things right. If you do that, God will bless you and you can live with a clear conscience concerning it.
This message taken from: Daily Devotional - The Word for You Today
Recent
Archive
2025
January
"Forgiving each other ...as...God forgave you."EMBRACING UNCERTAINITY AND FOLLOWING GODBLESSING IS PROGRESSIVEIS GOD SHAKING YOU UP?PROBLEMS? DRAW CLOSER TO GODDON'T AVOID--ENGAGEYOU ARE COMMANDED TO LOVEJUST SOW THE SEEDSEE YOURSELF AS VALUABLE (1)SEE YOURSELF AS VALUABLE (2)PRAY ABOUT IT, THEN TAKE ACTIONTHE IMPORTANCE OF GOD'S WORDTHE LINK BETWEEN DISOBEDIENCE AND STRESSHAVE YOU TALKED TO GOD ABOUT IT?KNOW YOUR PURPOSE, KNOW YOUR PARTNERSHOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANTPARENTING, THE BIBLE WAYHOW TO BUILD YOUR SELF-ESTEEMSIGNS FOLLOW FAITHWORSHIP: GIVING YOURSELF TO GODCHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, AND CHANGE YOUR LIFEFind Prayer PartnersHOW GOD SEES YOUBE GUIDED BY WISDOM, NOT IMPULSEHOW TO GIVEPAUSE AND REFLECTWHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (1)WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT MONEY (2)WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (3))WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (4)WHAT THE LORD TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (5)SEEKING GOD
February
Practice Saying No To YourselfThe Best Is Yet To ComeThe Grandfather's Mistake Became The Grandson's MiracleHow To Conquer The Fear Of FailingLet's Respect Our DifferencesPass It On To OthersThrow It DownYou Are Called To Be Salt And LightExpect To "Wrestle"Use Your Gifts In Ministry To OthersKeep Trusting GodFear Is The Enemy Of GrowthChange Your RoutineYou Are Not Beyond God's ReachDon't Look At Christians, Look At ChristHave A God PerspectiveGod Uses Damaged PeopleUnderstanding The Word "Imputed"Governed By Christ's Love For UsToday Expect God's FavorGrowth Is About EnlargementKeep Praying And BelievingRefuse To Wear The LabelShake It Off, And Move ForwardWhen Others "Don't Get It"Righteousness Is A Gift, Not A Reward
March
Don't Break, Bounce Back (1)How Long Will You Live?Don't Break, Bounce Back (2)Put Away The Measuring StickKnow When To Let GoUse Your ImaginationConnect, Commit, CommunicateHow God Sees YouRearing Spiritual FruitConsult God On Your Daily To Do ListBorn To Believe (1)Born To Believe (2)Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul"Forgive Them" And Delete ItPut God Between Yourself and the FoeBe True To The ScripturesThe Kids Are Watchcng You (1)The Kids Are Watching You (2)If You're A Leader, Read ThisPrayer and Your RASLearn To Say NoYou Can Learn To LoveAlways Agree With God’s WordGive God All The GloryDon’t Let A Wall Build Up Between YouTo Be Used By GodTell Them While You Still CanYou’re Almost ThereA Ministry Of Tears“Much More” Or “Much Less” (1)
Categories
no categories