David said, ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity…there the LORD commanded the blessing’ (vv. 1, 3 NKJV). When we strive to work together in spite of our differences, God ‘commands’ His blessing to be upon our efforts. Satan knows this, so his chief strategy is to divide and conquer. He knows the power, synergy, and blessing that results from working in harmony; therefore he makes every effort to bring division. So when things begin to splinter and fall apart, look for ‘the devil in the details’. The sixth chapter of Proverbs lists seven things the Lord detests; among them is ‘a man who stirs up dissention’ (v. 19 NIV 1984 Edition). Paul says, ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’ (Ephesians 4:3 NIV 2011 Edition). (He knew that sometimes it required tremendous effort.)
We can’t afford to be ignorant of Satan’s tactics designed to keep us at odds with one another. He’ll cause you to become offended over a harmless statement, or read more into a comment than the speaker intended, or ascribe impure motives to someone’s behaviour, or believe a lie. But when you pray and seek God, He’ll reveal the truth of the situation. ‘He is our peace’ (Ephesians 2:14 KJV), and when we embrace Him, He directs us into peaceful resolution of our issues. In fact, our conflicts can become stepping stones to stronger relationships when we make a commitment to understand each other and refrain from divisiveness. That’s why Paul writes, ‘I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose’ (1 Corinthians 1:10 TLB).
Josh 16-18, John 3:22-36
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