Monday, September 29, 2014
I had planned to write today about a different topic but last night this one kept coming to my mind. I ordinarily like to present messages that will bless and encourage our readers, and even though my heart’s desire is that it will bless and benefit you, today’s thought may be more cautionary than uplifting. I kept recalling these sobering words Jesus uttered in Matthew 18:6, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” For whatever reason, there are certain bible verses people tend to overlook and assume that they don’t apply to them, in particular those that feature a warning of some sort. This may be one of them.
I wrote recently about our need to become more childlike, especially as it pertains to being humble and inoffensive. The sad truth is that often we are the opposite, and things that we do and say hurt and offend others deeply. A true child of God hurts when a brother or sister in the Lord is hurting; that is especially true with the Lord’s genuine ministers. They are troubled when they become aware that certain members are going through an experience where they are being constantly threatened, bullied, abused, and intimidated, which happens mostly at home. It bothers them more when they feel there is little they can do about it. Then they remember that there is plenty they can do, in particular they can present their case to the Lord. They remember that God knew it all along to begin with, and that He, in His time, will intervene when they won’t or can’t do anything about it. Such was the case with Moses on the day when his own sister and brother criticized him publicly. Being the tenderhearted soul that he was, Moses would never have done anything about it. In fact, he did not even bring the matter up to the Lord. He didn’t have to, for God took over. Just these five words in Numbers 12:2 tell us all we need to know:“And the Lord heard it.”
If you find yourself in one of these situations at home where you are being continually hurt, let me remind you that God saw and heard it and will do something about it in His own time, if you can’t or will not. The action He takes may not be pretty and you yourself may feel that it is too harsh, but the Lord knows what to do and how to do it. On the other hand, if you are willingly doing and saying hurtful things to someone in your life who you instead should be helping, protecting, and encouraging, I plead with you to desist immediately, especially if you consider yourself a child of God. And please don’t take the position that you have a right to do what you are doing. No Christian ever has a right or an excuse to be selfish and cruel. Please keep in mind Jesus’ eye-opening words in the bible verse we began with in today's blog.
Memory verse for the week: (Psalm 9:9) "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble."
