Be very careful.

I am sure most of you are like me and are sick and tired of hearing about Michael Jackson. It is constantly on the news. Pretty much every where you look there is something about him. It really bothers me that a mere man is glorified the way he is and our Lord and Savior who deserves glorification is dragged through the mud these days! I must admit I was a fan of Michaels when I was younger but the things that he has been accused of doing over the years has taken away my admiration for him. There is no doubt he was one of the most talented singer/dancers of all time. Did you ever see an interview with him?? He seemed to me to be one of the most sad individulas I have ever seen. It was pretty obvious to me that even in all the fame and fortune, he was a very sad and lonely person.

Todays devotion is about judging others. I will be honest that when the news of his death first arrived and the news sources started to constantly talk about how great he was my mind started thinking about how sinful I thought he was. The Lord started to deal with me on this though. Of all the news reports over the years I have no proof of anything he has been accused of except the balcony scene with his child. God's word is very clear on judging:

Matthew 7:1-3

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

Wow that is pretty clear huh? Jesus will be the Judge and He tells us we are not and the way we judge others, He will judge us! Now think about that for a moment.

I heard one man who had lost his son really slam Michael and accuse him of some things. He then told about how great his son was and that his son should be the one receiving the news coverage. I had heard before his son's death many things his son had supposedly done. Here is the point of this we should not judge anyone as all of us have our own skeletons in our closets to deal with. As the verse says up above we need to deal with our own planks!

So let us be very careful not to judge as God warns we will be judged in the same manner. I pray that Michael Jackson had a relationship with Jesus and that one day will see him in heaven. In the mean time let's try to share love and help those in need and let the judging be done by the Lord. The death of Michale has been of use to me by the Lord in teaching me to be very careful about judging!

Have a great day...Tom