Left alone
‘…How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now look, your house is left to you, empty and desolate’ (Matt. 23: 37, 38, NLT).
After God repeatedly offers a hand of help to a person or people, and they keep rejecting God, He lets them be. Such was the case of Jerusalem during Jesus’ time on earth. Jesus got angry with the Israelites, especially their religious elites (the scribes and Pharisees). He had a number of allegations against them just like He does against us today. if we don’t want to be abandoned by the Lord, we ought to pay attention to their errors, so as to avoid the same.
The Pharisees liked to preach, but failed to practice what they preached. They put heavy burdens on others which they themselves wouldn’t carry. Everything they did was for show and to impress others. They loved the place of honour at functions taking the most prominent seats in the church. They enjoyed people’s praises and flattery and loved to be called by special titles. They didn’t aim at pleasing God, and they disallowed others who wanted to from doing so. They twisted God’s word for their personal gratification.
They followed all doctrinal rules and were careful to tithe the tiniest part of their income. But they ignored justice, mercy and faithfulness. That’s why despite their strict observance of the laws, they had no mercy. They got infuriated when Jesus healed the sick or the oppressed, just because He did so on a Sabbath day. The very essence of the law was justice and mercy, but they missed this truth and attracted God’s wrath upon themselves. How terrible!
They tried to look upright outwardly, but hypocrisy, lawlessness and wickedness filled their hearts. They would go as far as killing anyone who did or spoke anything against their laws. They would keep their laws at the expense of anything and everything. In fact they started working against God, thinking they were working for Him. Anyway, Jesus did proclaim lots of woes upon them for He had zero tolerance for their hypocrisy and hardheartedness.
Are you an active ‘church’ person but finds it difficult to forgive others? Do you ‘kill’ others with your words? Are you so legalistic about doctrines that you lack a heart of compassion? Do you label others as unclean while you see yourself as a saint? Do you do a sincere examination of your heart to check if wickedness is already in? Does God’s mercy flow through you? Is the spirit of God dwelling in you or has He abandoned you? If you really want to, you can deal with anything that wants to make God abandon you. I pray, receive the grace to do so. In Jesus name!
Today’s Corporate Prayer: Father, deliver me from any lie I tell myself. In Christ Jesus mighty name!
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Tabitha omobolanle Faleye is a lover of Christ and His works and a copy writer/content developer.
