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“For Abuse at our own Discretion?”

Thoughts for Today:

Our family has a Labrador Retriever named Abby. When she was young my nickname for her was "Shredder" because every time she was left unattended, things got torn up. One summer day my daughter Amanda was playing with her in the garage. An hour or so later, Amanda was in her room, but without the dog. I asked, "Where's Abby?" Amanda answered, "In the garage. She likes it in there because it's cool." I rushed out thinking, "On no! What has she destroyed now?" I found Abby peacefully sleeping by the door. Unfortunately, before falling asleep she had shredded her dog bed and scattered it throughout the garage. Amanda said, "It's okay, Dad, it's her dog bed and she can tear it up if she wants."

Did Abby have a guilty conscience? She didn't seem to -- when she saw me she got up and happily wagged her tail (as the stuffing from the bed swirled around her). In our passage today, Paul is saying something similar, "Eat anything, without raising questions of conscience." Why? Because the earth and everything in it is the Lord's. However, just because He created it for us to use, does not imply it can be abused at our discretion.

Questions to Ponder:

The Lord has given us the earth -- however, His gift does not justify our wastefulness. What is your perspective: Gratitude or thankless misuse? Do you view the resources of our planet as a finite and precious gift to be conserved for future generations, or one to be used and abused at our own discretion? What do you think is the Lord's intent?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.