Sometimes in the midst of all the arguing, anger and
despair, we forget that no matter how hard we threaten, cajole, or rant, we
cannot sway other’s opinions about God and his creation. We must pray that hearts be changed. Hearts that are open to listening to God,
open to respecting our world and those who dwell in it are focusing on what is
good. But if we become mired in the mud
and give up hope, we are not helping anyone and in a sense we are giving up on
the goodness God put in people.
We must remember that we are ALL God’s creation, even those
who don’t believe in Him or His part in their lives.
“Now Saul, still
breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high
priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus that if he
should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back
to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey
as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him “Saul, Saul why are your
persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what
you must do.” (Acts 9:1-6)
And so we must be instruments of God’s Good News. We cannot
wash our hands of them, keep screaming or make threats but act at Ananias did when the Lord told him to go to Saul, “Go for this man is a chosen instrument of
mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings and Israelites and I will show him
what he will have to suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:15-16)
We too have to be confident that God will use us to help
others see and know His love for all people. We cannot despair, and give up
joy. We are to proclaim God’s marvelous
Words in our speech, our actions and the way we treat people and most of all we
must pray for everyone to have the same conversion Saul did. “He stayed some days with the disciples in
Damascus and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues that he is
the Son of God. All who heard him were
astounded and said, “Is this not the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who
call upon his name and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the
chief priests? But Saul grew all the
stronger and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is
the Messiah.” (Acts 9:19-22)
Live in joy and prayer, our God who is all powerful, loves
us!
No comments:
Post a Comment