Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

This is an excellent time to bring out into the open even the slightest intolerance lurking in your life and place it before the Lord.

Is intolerance one of your daily grinds? Be honest. Do you have difficulty leaving room for opinions you don’t agree with or the conduct of those who fail to measure up?

The founders of the United States formed this nation on the premise that each individual will one day stand before God and give an answer for his or her beliefs and conduct.

In the best Christian sense of the term, tolerance is an important aspect of grace. Tolerance provides “wobble room” for those who struggle to measure up.

As is true of all of us on special occasions, David had learned a truth that was so exciting he had to share it. He wanted his entire nation to enter into this joyous experience with him.

Having chosen to enter a season of quietness, stepping back from public view, David examines the effect of humility on his soul. Psalm 131 contains several curious word pictures.

David's song, preserved for us as Psalm 131, says that he does not involve himself in great matters or "things too difficult for him." The idea here is that he doesn't pursue places of prominence or greatness.

In a matter-of-fact fashion, David addresses the Lord in Psalm 131. Throughout the song, he carries on a conversation with his God. While humility is the subject, the focus is himself.

Envy is a disease of the soul you can ignore for a while, but eventually you must address it. Like a slow-growing cancer, envy will eventually consume you.

With a mere three verses, Psalm 131 is one of the shortest chapters in the Bible. If it is ever true, however, that good things come in small packages, this psalm is proof of that.

Asaph struggled with envy. He had a hard time making sense of the fact that righteous people could barely make ends meet while evil people enjoyed opulent, sumptuous lifestyles.

The domestic scene now reaches completion. The children are trained, reared, and launched from the nest. The psalmist paints a pleasant picture of serenity, which includes three realms of blessing.

Let’s be honest. Sometimes sin seems to have more to offer us than righteousness does. If we observe the world today, the wicked appear to have all the advantages.

Solomon's songs of the strong family, Psalms 127 and 128, contain an emphasis on leadership. Having considered the value of children (127:3–5), he examines the role of leadership in the home.

You may have heard the expression “green with envy” or envy referred to as “the green-eyed monster.” In the Bible, however, envy had the Hebrews seeing red.

If a relationship with God is the foundation of a home (Psalm 127:1–2), the children are the bricks and mortar. Wise King Solomon continues his celebration of the strong home with a focus on the value of children.

Petrarch hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “Five great enemies of peace inhabit within us: avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; and if those enemies were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.”

The pair of songs on the home, Psalms 127 and 128, begins with a look at the foundation. How does one establish a family legacy that will survive the inevitable crises, and then thrive for generations?

Returning good for evil is not a complicated concept; it’s very simple. Yet it is rare. It’s one of the most difficult tasks we ever undertake in life.

Maybe it doesn't sound very spiritual, but some aspects of family living can be a grind! Rearing a household of busy children, maintaining good communication, . . . can be a first-class chore!