Reading your Bible for Today March 15

March 15: Romans 15:1-4

KJV Key Verse: Romans 15:4
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

Devotion:
One of the things we need to continue doing as a society is to look out for those who need help. This is part of being human. When we lose focus on the ability to help others, we are losing focus on God's commandments and on those great commandments which Christ told of us. But what we need to remember all the time is exactly why we are doing the helping. If we are doing the helping just to please the other person, then why are we actually doing it? Doing something just to please someone else normally means we are looking for something out of the deal, we are looking for some sort of payback later on. So if we are doing that, then we are actually acting for ourselves in the beginning and not for God.

God would have us to help others whenever we can, but so long as we are taking the praise for it, we are the ones gaining from the situation. Christ has given us our freedom of will, not to go and please ourselves, but to ultimately praise Him. Why should we not? He is the one, after all, who has created us. He is the one who has given that liberty to us. He is the one who has supplied us with everything in our lives. Yet He alone was the one who took upon the sins of the whole world. He alone, who did not sin Himself, took upon the sin of everyone that came before Him and after Him, just so we can all have a free life. We don't have to look forward to taking on the sins of anyone else to make sure they get to heaven, all we need do is to carry the people who need it a little further so they too can see Christ.

Without that little assistance we can muster, some will never get close enough to hear of His wonderful love and to hear of the wonderful things He has already done for us. If you think you need help in deciding what you should be doing, or in finding out what you can do – then read God's Word. Everything has been written down already so we can gain from the experience of great men and women of faith throughout history. We can learn about what Christ has done for us through their example.

Points to Ponder:
Wouldn't it be nice to read all about someone before allowing them to be your friend?

How much do you know about Christ?