The Reverend Billy Graham posted a link the other day with this precursor:
God says that only those who hunger after righteousness will receive it. You must desire it, above everything else.I did not go to the link and read it, simply because it was an answer to a prayer that I would want to share with you.
Yes, I believe that God answers our prayers, often through others! Sometimes making decisions that not only affect your life, but the lives of others (either in a good way or negative way) are hard. Those decisions must be thought through completely. We are told to seek out righteousness (His righteousness should be sufficient). There are times in this life when events unfold that cause so much devastation that we cannot just walk away without doing anything. There are God's laws and there are man's laws. We must follow both. We must pay our taxes (render unto Caesar), we must pay for things we use (thou shalt not steal), and so on and so forth.
When God's law is broken, He sees and remembers. He asks us to acknowledge the wrong and change. "Go and sin no more" was the line Jesus gave to the prostitute. Yes, I'm sure she continued to sin, but she changed her way of life and and no longer committed that sin. (I'm thinking that's where the mortal and venial sin thing came from, but yes, another post). He made a blind man see and a lame man walk. He can vindicate those of us here on earth when we truly have been wronged.
When man's law is broken, a simple "forgive me" is rarely enough. You see, Jesus may have paid for our sins on the cross, but He did not pay our parking tickets, our DUI surcharges and He did not do any of our jail time (if applicable), etc.
We are all responsible for our actions - each one of us! How do you know when it's time to take matters to the next level? How do you know if this is what the Lord wants you to do? When do you not "turn the other cheek"? The simple answer: You pray. You ask for guidance. You LISTEN for His response. Sometimes it comes in many forms: something someone says without prodding, a feeling, the revelation of a verse in your mind, or the words printed on the computer screen right in front of you.
Many of you who read my posts looking for an answer, looking to broaden your knowledge of God's word, hoping that in the post you are reading is the answer to YOUR question. Why do you think God has me get up each morning and sit here and tell you MY story? He's telling me to share His mercy and grace with YOU. To let YOU know you are loved by Him. He wants YOU to see the miracles He performs every day in my life so that YOU will see the miracles He performs in your!
He's faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. That's a guarantee!!!
