Devotion
October 2003
HEY, I LOVE YOU!!!
Heb 10:24 “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.” NLT
Outbursts!??! I was reading this the other morning and I was surprised to see the word outburst in this verse. I wanted to go back to the ‘original Greek’ but I discovered he is dead so I had to do some research on my own.
Outburst –
n 1: an unrestrained expression of emotion [syn: effusion, gush]
2: a sudden violent happening; “an outburst of heavy rain”; “a
burst of lightning” [syn: burst, flare-up]
3: a sudden violent disturbance [syn: tumultuous disturbance]
I think that this gives us a whole new perspective on what we are to encourage one another to do. I believe that an outburst does not come naturally to all of us. That is why we need encouragement to do it. I looked in the New Language Translation for other references to ‘outburst’ and found it in 4 other places.
1. Lev 19:24 – In the fourth year the entire crop will be dedicated to the Lord as an outburst of praise.
2. Je 20:8 – Whenever I speak the words come out in a violent outburst. “Violence and destruction” I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke.
3. 2Co 12:20 – Outbursts of anger.
4. Ga 5:20 – Outbursts of anger.
Not all outbursts are good but it is apparent to me that they can be planned. A whole crop to be dedicated to the Lord required some planning and commitment. To tend an entire crop knowing that it is to be sacrificed to the Lord. Could you do that? Work for an entire year and then give the salary to God?
And to make an outburst can be embarrassing. Look at Jeremiah. He was compelled to speak what God gave him to say and it humiliated him but he could not stop. Even his friends were laughing at him and looking for ways to trip him up.
Let’s talk about the bad outbursts for a minute. Paul was writing to the churches in Cornith and Galatia and he was upset with them. Verse 20 of 2Corinthians says “For I am afraid that when I come to visit you I won’t like what I find , and then you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfishness, backstabbing , gossip, conceit and disorderly behavior.”
Verse 19-21 of Galatians 5 says “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results; sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
That is pretty severe, isn’t it? I have been doing some looking and while I don’t want to get into a deep discussion about these verses, it looks like to me we are talking about rewards in heaven, not our salvation. We can discuss this at one of our bible study nights if anyone wants to but not tonight.
Now, back to the ‘good’ outbursts. I think it bears repeating. “Heb 10:24 “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.” NLT. We should all strive to think of ways we can encourage one another. To show each other how to love fully and to do good deeds with passion.
Let’s keep meeting together and encourage one another and warn each other as we see the day approaching.
Jerry Robertson
Chaplain