By: Undre Griggs, Jr.

By: Undre Griggs, Jr

By: Undre Griggs, Jr

By Undre Griggs, Jr.

Psalms 55:22 (ESV): "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit righteous to be moved.”

According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word for “moved” can be translated as; bring down, fall, or falter.  God is promising us, if we do not allow ourselves to be moved off the path of righteousness, he will sustain us.  When your righteousness causes others to persecute you, you cannot allow that pain to consume you.  You cannot allow any burden to remain on your shoulders, because in time, it could change the essence of who you are for the worst.  You have to trust in the Lord and put that burden on Him.  If God is sustaining you; why be concerned?

Psalms 56:3-4: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

One reason bad things happen to the righteous is to produce steadfastness.  Steadfastness or endurance is required for us to be complete and perfect in the Lord.

James 1:2-4: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

And once you are perfect and complete, everything you endured for a time will be well worth it when you receive a reward that will last a lifetime.

James 1:12: Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

by Undre Griggs, Jr.

As friends: we provide shelter when our brethren are without cover; food when we can’t afford it; we visit each other when we miss a service; we lift each other up when we stumble; we forgive each other when we are wronged; and we are willing to sacrifice our own interests for their betterment.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV): Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV): As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Of the many responsibilities we have to each other, we also have the responsibility to sharpen each other’s character.

Much like the need of iron to sharpen iron, there is the need of one human to make another human better. Humans have a consciousness that only another human can understand. The words in which we communicate, the way our minds reason, and the joy/pain life brings can only be understood by another human.  As a child, we are appreciative of everything a person is willing to teach us.  We need someone to teach us how to eat, walk, talk, use the bathroom, and read.  As an adult, we can lose our willingness to learn and the humility to be taught.  That will only hurt us in the end because the only way we can learn and sharpen our character is by another person telling us.

Proverbs 1:5 (ESV): Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,