CUTE OR NOT SO CUTE

Pigs are cute enough at this age, but while reading  through the devotion of the day I was reminded of  the prodigal son story, you remember the son who wanted his inheritance given to him before his father died. Which was an extreme insult because the son was essentially saying he wanted to live his life as though his father were dead. He was rejecting his families way of life and requesting what was intended to be a gift be given instantly.

Pigs brought this son to his senses but not quite in time, he had squandered all of his inheritance, and was living like a pig

. Pigs were considered in biblical times unclean,  they wallowed in the mud, ate slop, had no regard to how they looked, and tend to smell pretty bad, they still do today but we have a somewhat different attitude toward them today.

However today if you call someone a "pig" it brings to mind someone who is unkept, dirty and conveys contempt and disgust.

Anyway all of this to say, this leads me to a verse I did some study on.

Matthew 7:6

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to the pigs".

Some scholars say scripture verses are referred to as "pearls" and we should not waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Jews often referred to Gentiles as "dogs" or "Pigs" and the scripture was not meant for the Gentiles. But some understand this to be a warning that the message of the Kingdom would not be received by the Gentiles. Still others say it is also a warning to the resistant Jewish leaders or to unbelievers in general.

We have to read the from Matthew 7:1 to find out what exactly Jesus is trying to tell us here, He is talking about judging others before we take the speck out of our own eye, but at the same time encouraging us to continue asking in prayer for wisdom to pray effective prayers.

Hes not saying we should give up on the lost but that our words will not always be accepted. Have you ever talked with an unbeliever and they just kinda stare at you like you have just spoken some foreign language and they were thoroughly bored with anything about the Bible?

 What Jesus does say is to keep preserving in asking the Father for wisdom, direction, and guidance.

Matt 7:7 "Keep asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep knocking and the door will be opened to you".

Jesus is not saying to ask for extravagant desires, that God will not grant that, but for God's people to seek daily provisions and spiritual blessings.

I think a key word here is DAILY, don't let life get so busy that we don't communicate with the Father for answers to living.

Its all in the Bible and finding time to just study and read it is a challenge but so worth the time.