Tuesday November 3


“They looked the other way.”  Ge 9:23 NLT

Dealing with other people’s failures

The Bible says: “After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine…and became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham…saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. Then Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked. When Noah woke up from his stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done. Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham” (vv. 20-25 NLT). Have you ever uncovered something about a person in a position of respect, and you just couldn’t refrain from telling other people? If you have, think about this: If God trusted you enough to reveal someone’s unclothedness or sin, maybe you weren’t meant to “see” and “tell,” but to “cover” that person’s unclothedness with discretion, compassion, and prayer. The Bible says, “Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you” (Pr 2:11 NIV). The fact is, Ham ended up being condemned, while his father Noah ended up in Hebrews chapter eleven being given honorable mention with the great heroes of Scripture. You say, “But I’m free to say whatever I like!” Not true! The Bible says, “A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter” (Pr 11:13 NKJV). What if God decided to show someone else your unclothedness? Remember, what you sow, you reap! How you handle someone else’s area of vulnerability determines how God handles yours (See Gal 6:7).