Wednesday, July 5
sometimes guilt is punishment enough
i believe that sometimes people sin because they lack self control
i believe that sometimes punishment doesn't need to be too overboard
i believe that sometimes the conscience is punishment enough
i believe that sinners are redeemed by the heart and hands of God.
i believe that people shouldn't preach what they themselves do not do
i believe that there is hope for our world tomorrow
i believe that redemption washes us clean again
i believe that God loves me.
i believe that my family can be saved
i believe in the power of prayer and the triumph of faith and hope over sin
<1 Kings 17: 1-7> Elijah proclaims a drought
1And Elijah the Tishbite of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab,
"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not
be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."
2Then the word ot the Lord came to him saying,
3"Get away from here and turn east-ward, and hide by the Brook Cherith,
which flows into the Jordan.
4"And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded
the ravens to feed you there."
5So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed
by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat
in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
7And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been
no rain in the land.
God had a specific plan for Elijah--and he promised to provide for him [v1-4]
Elijah believed in the power of God's word, and obeyed His word [v5]
God delivered His promise [v6-7]
God never fails.
people might fail
perhaps not intentionally,
sometimes they fail because of indifference
neglect, forgetfulness
in the way they care for others
with good intentions
people still fail
because of a lack of will
an excess of pride
but God never fails to deliver His promises
sometimes God is silent
sometimes He doesn't seem to be listening
sometimes He doesn't answer our prayers, or asks us to wait
sometimes He closes doors and says no
it's times like these.
when we think that we know what is best for ourselves
perhaps we ask for limitless blessings
perhaps we're just asking to be normal. like everyone else.
God checks our hearts.
why?
are our reasons really reasons, or are they mere excuses to deceive ourselves?
it's times like these.
we realise that we don't really know ourselves after all
the paradoxical beauty of grace
is that it makes life unfair
when we do wrong,
society tends to punish one for his wrong-doings.
as one fights a monster, one must take care to not become a monster himself
if you look too long into an abyss, the abyss looks back at you too.
the undertaker becomes the sole murderer left
but amongst the petty crimes we commit
the disgressions and transgressions
we wallow afterwards, in guilt and shame
when a student runs away from school, it's punishment enough
to have to catch up with the schoolwork he has missed
when a shoplifter steals, the fear of being apprehended
is punishment enough as it wears down the sanity of the perpetrator
perhaps, just perhaps, one should regard sin with forgiveness
and mans' transgressions with faith and hope in people
and just believe, that as trust is being placed in a person
he will esteem himself to be above these petty crimes
he will value righteousness and want to keep the trust given to him by grace
after all, that's what God does, isn't it?
0. oOo
