Walking With Jesus

Whose “Calling?”

“Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you – but if you get a chance to be free, take it. And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 7:20-22 NLT)

Calling can be confusing when we try to separate what God has created and equipped us to do, and what “calling” looks like specifically as a follower of Jesus. We often hear the expression “called to ministry,” which can be misleading when we consider that EVERY believer is “called to ministry.” “Ministry” is service for the Lord in whatever manner and in whatever setting we serve. Our life is an act and avenue of ministry.

While I was called to serve a specific congregation as their Pastor, God also “called” me to be a salesman for a secular company. Was one position more “spiritual” than the other? Not from God’s perspective! God’s call extends to whatever we do from day to day, whether “sacred” or “secular.” From God’s view EVERY area of our lives is “sacred,” meaning, He sets us apart for sacred use in whatever setting we find ourselves, whether in the kitchen making a meal, on the assembly line, making a living, or in an office, making a deal.

Calling to “ministry” has come to be reserved for those who serve a church, religious or Ministry organization, but Biblically, EVERY believer is called by God to represent Him in and through whatever we do. But here’s the point: we don’t “call” ourselves into whatever we think we might enjoy doing.

Calling is of God. He knows us best, after all, He designed us to be exactly as we are and who we are. But sometimes we have, or come to have, distorted views of who we are and/or what we’re “called” to be by outside “forces,” either drugs, alcohol, prescribed medication, demonic oppression or even demon possession.

But let’s be clear, a child of God CANNOT be possessed by a demon, and we need not fear demonic activity. The clear basis of “calling” is communication with God. Foundationally, all communication with the Lord is sacred and personal. It may, and often does, have implications for service in various ways and in manifold types of arenas, but whatever He calls us to must render glory and honor to the Lord or it’s not God’s call.

Ivan Mesa wrote: “We don’t choose our callings; by definition, we’re called to them. Repeat: God calls us; we don’t call ourselves.”We’re initially called to be God’s child by virtue of the new birth through Christ alone by faith alone. But that’s only the beginning of our calls.

Perhaps it would be clearer to think of “call” as “instruction,” or “Spirit-direction.” For example. As a believer I’ve been called to marriage, ministry, mission, and miscellaneous other assignments that have included working at a newspaper, selling cars and insurance, working with a moving company, as well as having positions of Ministry with churches.

In my retirement, my primary “calling” is to write this blog and to reach my neighbors for Jesus, as well as love my wife, children, and grandchild like Jesus would love them if He were me. So, to the extent I allow Him full access to me, He flows in and through me to carry out His ministry.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are Jesus and Satan Equal?

“Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ‘I will give it all to You,’ he said, ‘if you will kneel down and worship me.’ ‘Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him, ‘For the Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’” (Matthew 4:8-10 NLT)

If you’re not familiar with Scripture you may tend to believe, as many misinformed people today do, that Jesus and Satan are equal, but that’s like saying oil and water are equal. They are not! Have never been and never will be.

Satan is a created being who rebelled against God and is subject to judgment and eternal punishment as is every other of God’s creation. Satan is subject to Christ’s authority and will one day lose his power over sinful mankind, but in the meantime, we have a fight on our hands. A few things we must consider.

First, alone we are no match for Satan, but with the covering of God’s Spirit we are impenetrable. Does that mean we can’t be tempted or caused to fall prey to temptation? No, it just means that as long as we rely on the Spirit’s armor and are fully dependent upon the Spirit’s strength, he cannot defeat us.

Can a believer in Jesus be demon possessed? Absolutely NOT! When a person is filled with God’s Spirit, they are in no danger of being possessed by Satan or his emissaries. However, we can be oppressed by Satan. What does that mean? Paul addresses a manifestation of this in 2 Corinthians 12:6-7. It can be in our mind, emotions, or in our body, but there are times that the Lord, for His own reasons, allows us to suffer in some way for the express purpose of drawing us closer and causing us to become more dependent upon Him.

Sickness can be tricky, because, unfortunately, we often blame Satan for what we bring on ourselves. Diabetes, kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s aren’t diseases with which I wrestle because of Satanic attack, they are issues I brought on myself because of my negligence to care for my own body, but are exacerbated by Satanic pressure to not take responsibility for what I now have to do as a result.

As long as I can blame Satan for my issues, I can avoid taking responsibility for them. It can be “poor me,” instead of “I brought this on myself.” Why does it matter? Because to not realize the origin of my problems is to misunderstand God’s role in them. To believe they’re caused by Satan takes my attention away from the Lord and lets me give credit to Satan that isn’t his due.

To understand that I have these physical concerns as a result of my own negligence puts me prostrate before my Savior seeking first, His forgiveness, but secondly, His continued presence in enabling me to be the best I can be for Him, beginning with the care of my body. Like it or not, our body is the temple of the living God and to neglect care of my body is not a lot different than not taking care of my car on which I depend for transportation.

Satan gets far more credit than he deserves, especially, when we make bad, ungodly choices, then blame him for our failures. We shouldn’t not study for a test, then blame Satan or even sometimes God, for our failure. But we must keep Satan’s power in perspective. It’s like Satan is a firecracker and God is an Atomic Bomb. There is NO COMPARISON!

That’s why it’s critical to place our trust in the living God and focus our energy on pleasing him, not fearing Satan. Can Satan influence us to do wrong? Of course, but God ALWAYS, without exception, gives us a means of escape when we’re tempted.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why We Pray?

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6 NLT)

When I pray, I sometimes think of prayer as a secret passageway the Father has given just to me to have access to Him. It’s not, of course, because He gives prayer to anyone willing to access its majesty, power, and eternal influence to God’s glory, never our own.

My sense is prayer is given to be private and uninterrupted. Yes, of course, there’s a time for corporate prayer where we lift needs to the Lord together. But my heart today is for each of us who make the choice each moment to go through our day without prayer. John MacArthur made a frightening statement when he wrote: “To say ‘Lord, Lord’ and then disobey is the moral equivalent of a Judas kiss.”

Prayer is serious business with God and to avoid it or take it lightly is to forfeit, not only a right we have as a Jesus follower, but an obligation. It’s like being married or even in a business relationship but never speaking to our spouse or co-worker. Prayer is communication, not only with God, but for others. And, like any meaningful communication, it’s a two-way process.

To speak to God and not listen isn’t only wrong, on some levels it’s sinful. Why would I say that? Because we’re subject to the Lord’s ownership and Lordship. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 7:23: “God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” Slaves do more listening than talking, but a good slave then obeys.

Obedience to God demands time in conversation with Him. How can we carry out instructions we haven’t heard? And how can we hear if we’re not intentionally listening? Reading God’s Word isn’t the only way we “hear” God speak, but it’s a major way. As a matter of fact, He will NEVER speak in contradiction to His Word.

Bob Sorge challenged me when he wrote: “Soul, ‘the wisest thing you’ll ever do in this life is to draw close to God and to seek him with all your heart.’” The Psalmist reminds us: “The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; He looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” It sure seems that way sometimes, doesn’t it, but we must prevail in prayer!

We wrestle with the multiplied problems of life, but seldom, if ever, set aside specific time to spend alone with the Lord. And yes, of course, the Lord is always with us, but that’s not the point. The question is: “Are WE with HIM!” Saying prayers and praying are too often two very different things. Reciting the Lord’s prayer, while not wrong, the Lord instructed us to use it, is simply not enough.

Prayer must cost us something – time, energy, effort, devotion! Habitual prayer, prayer motivated by a heart of love, is willing to sacrifice to make the time to spend with our Savior. My conviction is, we don’t pray more because: (a) we don’t understand its value, but (b) we’re not willing to devote the effort.

When offered in the right attitude and with the right motive prayer will change us and change the people and/or situations for which we pray.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

He’s Coming…for YOU!

“People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.” (Matthew 24:39 NLT)

As a believer in Jesus, it’s essential that we maintain a posture of preparedness, not only for His second coming, but for our first “going!” The last time I checked the death rate for human beings was still 100%. We’re not getting out of this life alive unless the Lord comes and transforms us, but either way, it will happen in the “twinkling of an eye.” Are you ready?

Here’s the scary part of that to me. There are those in our spheres of influence who have expressed interest in going to church or coming to Christ, but haven’t. Why not? Largely because Satan has them believing they have more time. So, what’s the rush?

Think of the 2,977 people who went to work per usual on 9-11-2001. Just another day…until it wasn’t! On average 150,000 people die each day in the world. How many of them do you think leave their house planning to die? My guess is, not very many, yet, according to current statistics only 31.6% of the world’s population is Christian.

Do you believe that anyone who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus will not go to heaven? Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” “Yeh, but isn’t that very exclusive?” No, actually it’s very inclusive. The invitation is to “whosoever will may come.” The only people excluded are those who choose to exclude themselves. Jesus’ love is for everyone period! But He loves us enough to not force us to surrender our lives to Him. That’s got to be our choice.

Therein lies the rub. I’ve got to believe the vast majority of “lost” people, people without a saving knowledge of Jesus (i.e. “a relationship with Him”), don’t want to go to hell, yet they fail to realize life without Jesus IS hell! Hell is anyplace God is not, thus, to have a heart void of God’s presence is to be filled with emptiness, separated from love, and destined to an eternity of hopelessness.

“That’s not true!” I can hear someone saying. “I have family and friends I love! A career I love! A dog I love!” And on and on it goes. God IS love, so, evidence of His presence is experienced even without a relationship with Him but seeing it and experiencing it are two different things.

It’s like dating and marriage. You may have “loving feelings” when you’re passionately kissing while dating, but that can’t compare to the love that fills your heart when you’re holding your spouse as they’re taking their last breath after years of committed love for one another. Love isn’t an emotion, it’s a commitment, like the commitment Jesus made to me and you on the Cross.

His committed love for us paid the penalty for our sin as He hung defenseless on the Cross in my place and yours. He paid a debt He didn’t owe in order that we might find a love we couldn’t earn or deserve. Everyone will die physically, but not everyone will go to heaven. Only those who have understood their sin debt has been paid and who then yield their life and allegiance to Jesus, not out of obligation, but out of appreciation and recognition of all He’s done to make our new life in Him possible.

Eternal existence is guaranteed to everyone! Heaven is not! It’s your choice. You must decide! But time isn’t on your side. PLEASE, make your decision to give your life to Jesus now, in THIS moment. It’s the only one you have!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Your Eternal Purpose

“Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

*As I do every 15th of the month, I’m devoting todays blog to Sylvia Gunter. Today’s prayer is taken from Sylvia’s new book: Strength To Equal Your Days a 365 day devotional by Sylvia Gunter and Elizabeth Gunter Powell. See the link below to order your copy. Blessings, Ed

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the blessed assurance that the best is yet to come. I place my trust in Your mighty hand and the eternal purposes that will never waver. As I run the race You have set before me today, fill my heart with joy, knowing that You are by my side in every step, through every trial and circumstance—whether they are visible to others or known only to You.

Father, daily remind me of the promise You made in Jeremiah 29:11, that Your plans for me are for good, not for harm, to give me a future filled with hope. Strengthen my faith in the truth that in all things, You are working for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). I am Your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to carry out the good works You have already prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Lord, strengthen me in Your power so that I may speak Your words and perform Your works, impacting the hearts and lives of those You have placed in my path. I trust that You are intricately weaving together every thread of Your purpose in my life, preparing me for things beyond my understanding. Help me to stand firm, confident, and strong, knowing that You are upholding my cause and guiding my every step. In the powerful name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Where You Headed?

“I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” (Matthew 8:9 NLT)

Do you realize as a child of God you live under Christ’s authority? There is a sense in which we have no will of our own, we make no plans of our own. Our activities are governed by our “Commanding Officer,” the Lord Jesus.

As with any destination the shortest route is a straight line, yet, like most trips I’ve taken, there are no straight lines between here and there. Factor in detours, car/travel difficulties, and other interruptions and you have a lot of uncertainties with which to deal. Life’s journey with Jesus is an adventure that can’t be “boxed” or “packaged” according to our preferences.

The truth is, we don’t know the way, at least not a way that can be conveniently mapped out. We’re following a Person, not a pre-planned route; thus, the reason for trust, clear lines of communication, and a willingness to be flexible. Heaven is our destination, but our day-to-day strategy to arrive there isn’t dependent upon our ingenuity or clever planning, it’s dependent upon our ability and willingness to listen carefully and follow instructions.

Jesus says simply, “I am the Way” with the clear implication: “Follow Me!” But why should we? What makes Jesus think He has all the answers? What makes Him supreme ruler of US? Because His credentials are beyond explanation or even understanding and He’s the ONLY ONE EVER to come from heaven, then ascend back to heaven, so, it’s pretty safe to assume He knows the way.

But the foundation of whether or not we’ll trust Him to lead us there is faith. There have been others, many others, who have given explanations of what’s going to happen when we die and what we need to do to prepare, but NONE who have laid down their life for our forgiveness and to fill us with His Holy Presence in the Person of His Holy Spirit to make sure we have step-by-step instructions.

Our destination isn’t really the issue as much as our moment-by-moment interaction with our Savior. There’s a sense in which our relationship with the Lord IS our destination and the “way” is to follow His directives. And that can be scary because sometimes His way leads to confusion, pain, suffering, heartache, misunderstanding, and a lot of other things we don’t like and would rather avoid.

Beth Moore gives us insight when she writes: “Sometimes a storm in your life is what will blow you to the place you are longing to be.” That’s why life is such an adventure, we never know what the next step is going to entail or where the next turn will lead. That’s also why we must be slow to draw conclusions based on the seeming obvious.

For example, just because I’ve been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s doesn’t mean the Lord is done with me, that I no longer have value to Him or purpose for which He can use me. Neither does your diagnosis, lost job, death of a loved one, divorce, or any other tragedy that has befallen you. Actually, it may be the beginning of a brand-new leg of your journey that will prove better than you can now imagine.

He will give you insights, understanding, times of intimacy with Him that you could experience in no other way. Trust Him. Follow Him. Walk closely with Him. He’s not only your destination, He IS your Way.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

On What Are You Resting?

“After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so He can give glory back to You. For You have given Him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him. And this is the way to have eternal life – to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one You sent to earth.’” (John 17:1-3 NLT)

Jesus isn’t Truth simply because the Church believes that He is or even because the Bible says He is. Jesus is Truth because that’s who He says He is, and He is incapable of telling a lie. In much the same way as whatever comes out of the mouth of Satan is a lie; everything that comes from Jesus is Truth.

Every person who has ever lived or ever will live rests or will rest their hope in something or someone. It may be a body of belief that is religious or non-religious, or something they were taught by a grandparent or parent when they were small that they’ve never forgotten, but we all have a fundamental “truth” that drives our life. But all beliefs aren’t equal and wrong beliefs have consequences.

Some people believe that all people are basically good, that given the opportunity people will do the right thing. Prisons are filled with people who didn’t choose the “right thing.” Others believe we’re simply products of our environment, that our behavior is essentially learned or “inherited.” And, to some extent, that’s true.

According to Scripture we’ve been born with an Adamic nature, a nature that resists God and seeks to forge our own way. We want what we want when we want it and are, too often, willing to do whatever it takes to get our way. As human beings, we’re naturally selfish and self-centered. We have a nature that craves attention and likes to be recognized and praised.

Like our “father,” Satan, we aren’t opposed to fabricate or exaggerate the truth to make ourselves look better or to put ourselves in a more favorable light with those we wish to impress. Indeed, our “father” has been known to disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) as a means of deceiving those who would allow him.

But as believers in Jesus we don’t rest in lies or half-truths. We don’t settle for make believe, opinions, rhetoric, or riddles, and for good reason. Gratefully, our God not only teaches Truth but amplifies it through His very being. Jesus said of Himself in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”

“Right!” you may be thinking, “and I’m the Easter Bunny!” you may say. People can say anything about themselves or anyone or anything, but the proof is in the proverbial “pudding.” Can you prove what you say about yourself as Jesus proved what He said about Himself?

Jesus revealed His identity in many ways, but in two very distinct and incomparable ways. He was born of a virgin, and He rose from the dead on the third day after His verifiable death. Those and other evidence give me full confidence that I can rest in the Truth, not only of what He said, but of who He is. But as ironclad as I believe those truths are, the irrefutable evidence to me is His ever-present life and love with me throughout my day in unmistakable and undeniable ways.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Opposite of Joy

“And all the people followed Solomon into Jerusalem, playing flutes and shouting for joy. The celebration was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound.” (I Kings 1:40 NLT)

What do you think of when you think of joy? What’s the most joyful occurrence or occasion of your life? Was it your wedding? Your baptism? Your graduation? What about the day you had the least joy? Your divorce? Your cancer diagnosis? The death of someone you loved?

Joy is not an emotion; joy is a gift of God. That’s why, according to Timothy Keller, “The sin under all other sins is a lack of joy in Christ.” Events don’t elicit joy, purpose does. We find our purpose in Jesus, not in accomplishments. We can have positive emotions in enjoyable circumstances and sadness in circumstances we deem unpleasant, but the joy of Jesus isn’t dependent upon circumstances, it’s dependent upon intimacy with the Lord.

Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us: “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” If we follow his train of thought, can we then conclude that lack of joy of the Lord is our weakness? So, the opposite of joy isn’t sadness it’s weakness, most often caused by a lack of purpose.

Did you notice Nehemiah said. “for the joy OF the Lord,” not joy IN the Lord. Being filled with God’s presence in the person of the Holy Spirit is literally the embodiment of joy within us. As believers we don’t have to search for God, we only have to acknowledge His Holy presence within us. To be filled with Jesus is to be filled with joy! But does that mean we’re always laughing and giggling like school children?

As I mentioned above, joy isn’t an emotion we turn on or off, it’s the gift of God’s presence within us and surrounding us regardless of the circumstances of our day or the mood of the moment. Joy is a decision to recognize that even in pain and heartache the foundation of our joy is a Person. Because Jesus doesn’t change neither does the fact of our joy in knowing He is walking with us, sometimes carrying us through the troublesome and difficult seasons of our lives.

To know Jesus is to have joy and to have joy is to recognize that because we belong to Jesus our lives are not our own. Our feelings on any given day cannot and must not dictate who we are or even what we do or don’t do. Prayer is not a luxury we sit aside if we don’t “feel” like it. God’s Word isn’t an option we can ignore because we’ve had a bad day.

Love, joy, peace, patience and the other fruit of the Spirit are necessities that must govern and guide us regardless of other factors pressing in on us. We cannot choose our mood based on emotion but must allow our behavior to be governed by the Spirit within us. He’s our Ruler, not we ourselves!

Often the days we’re at our worst and feel least like being “holy,” are the very days it’s most essential that we open our heart to become the joy of Jesus for someone else. Our selfishness screams for our attention and demands our submission to it’s demands, but as God’s child we must not give in. Allowing joy to reign in our hearts, minds, and lives requires discipline that can only be acquired as we yield to the indwelling Spirit.

Apart from Jesus we can do nothing, so it stands to reason that the discipline we need to be conformed to His likeness will be provided by His presence within us. His joy is our strength, even in our weakness, perhaps, ESPECIALLY in our weakness

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

All We Can?

“You are My friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:14 NLT)

How much of what you or I do in an average day is done for us? How much for the Lord? What has He asked of me or you that we’ve ignored or postponed? You know what that is, right? It’s NOT doing what He commands us to do. It’s sin.

A few verses before the one above in John 15, Jesus uses the term “remain” nine times in six verses. And just to be clear, “remain” means to obey, to stay at the task assigned, to do what we’re commanded to do. And what happens if we get lax and decide we’d rather do what we want to do? Verse 2 explains what the Father does: “I am the true grapevine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”

What happens to the “branches” that are removed? Verse 6 explains: “Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.”

We wonder why our lives aren’t bearing more fruit or why the church in America has grown so ineffective. Could it be because we’re withering branches waiting to be burned? As illustrated in Genesis 6, God’s Spirit will not put up with our sin forever. We want to believe because we said a prayer and live what we consider to be a “good life” that we’re good to go with God.

In much the same way as I believe that behind the saving grace of every saved person was someone praying, I believe behind every person who isn’t saved is someone NOT praying. I also believe that behind every suffering child, every gap in the care of hurting people all over the world, lost people groups, the proliferation of evil in every sector of societies across our world, are “people of God” more concerned about themselves than others.

We’re NOT loving well! We’re NOT being obedient to our Commander in Chief! Let me be more to the point: I’m not being as obedient and submissive to the Lord’s directives as I must be if the Lord is going to be able to make use of my life and I so want Him to. I think for years I was hanging to the Lord’s “vine” by a thread.

The Lord cuts us a lot of slack, but there comes a point, especially now when the clock is ticking and time is literally running out. This is no time to set back and relax, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and be about our Father’s business with more energy and enthusiasm than ever before. And I’m not concerned about my or your age. If we have breath, we have something to give; some vital way to influence someone’s life for Jesus.

We can’t slow down or quit, there’s too much at stake. Yes, of course, we can ask God to “bless the world” or “bless all the lost people.” But there’s no way we can see an answer for that prayer. He IS blessing the world! He is blessing lost people if He’s allowing them to have life. We need to shrink our world and begin using names of people with whom WE can follow up and “track” whether or not they’re getting the information they need to make a decision for Jesus.

Here’s the bottom line: Am I, are YOU, doing all we can to submit to Christ’s authority in our lives? Are we obedient to His directives? Are we following through with those for whom we’re praying to see if there’s anything we can do to help them make a decision for Jesus before it’s eternally too late?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Is God Really to Blame?

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.’ And He placed His hands on them and blessed them before He left.” (Matthew 19:14-15 NLT)

There’s something about children that softens our heart and lowers our defenses. We naturally want to hold them, love them, and protect them, which is natural because we inherit those instincts from our heavenly Father. Perhaps that’s why it breaks our heart and challenges our senses to realize, not only how children have suffered over the ages, but how they are suffering in the day in which we now live.

Children have become objects to be used rather than precious ones to be loved and cherished. There are parts of the world where the life expectancy of adults is low, yet they continue to have many children who become orphans. Even in more progressive societies, children are often orphaned or abandoned for reasons that are beyond their control.

What’s my point? Children are designed by God to be cared for and when they aren’t they suffer. What am I saying? We want to blame God for the plight of children, but in some respects it’s like blaming the forest for the trees. The forest wouldn’t exist without trees, like humanity wouldn’t exist without children, but children can’t care for themselves. They demand care, but when care isn’t available to be given, children die and or must do what they can to make a way for themselves.

They become vulnerable and easy targets for those who want to violate and use them for their own gain. Could God step in and stop them? Of course, and the truth is, He has taken measures to assure their safety and security, but the system breaks down.

It begins with parents and families of origin, but when we don’t do our job, we want the government to step up and do what we weren’t willing or able to do ourselves. But the government is stretched too thin and too many children fall through the proverbial “cracks,” and/or those given responsibility for their care take it upon themselves to violate the children or use their influence to allow those who shouldn’t, to have access to the kids.

Factor in those whose whole orientation is evil and whose only aim is to use children for their benefit and pleasure, and you have a world on fire with evil whose days are quickly coming to an end.

So, is God at fault for all of this? Some would argue He is because He gives us free will and He “allows” us to behave like idiots. But what’s the alternative? To be robots or animals? I choose to believe the reason children and anyone else suffers is due to the sin and negligence of man, not the negligence of God. Could God do something about it? Of course!

He flooded the earth and started over, but we didn’t get better, we got worse. So, what do you think He’s going to do this time? He’s using fire and there won’t be any survivors except those who specifically choose to be His friends and followers. And we will be made perfect so nothing evil will ever take place on the new earth again. But that’s not the end of the story.

The care of the suffering has been entrusted to each of us, as we care for those in our spheres of influence. To the extent we become the hands and feet of Jesus, to that extent the needs of the world will be addressed. And because things haven’t gotten any better, it only points to our lack of response to the clear directives of God, not the negligence of God.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊