A Way to EscapeWritten by Joyce C. Lock
Have you ever stumped your toe and most fowl words hung on tip of your tongue? Maybe, when a gorgeous babe walked by, you caught them checking you out. Perhaps, dry cleaners ruined your outfit and a few choice words came to mind. Suppose a check was delivered to you in mail, by mistake. Consider if someone set out to hurt you and perfect opportunity arose to get even. Have you ever found yourself in a position where, if you just keep your mouth shut, you will receive credit? Perhaps you observe keys in another's car. Maybe you're in a different town where no one would notice you visiting local bar. Or, you're on vacation, at beach, where church members will never see how you dress. Have you ever been tempted, when a store clerk doesn't notice extra item in your cart? Maybe you think a tranquilizer really would calm your nerves. Suppose you ran across a girly magazine and it kept saying, "Just one look." Sometimes, that's all it takes.
| | ConsequencesWritten by Joyce C. Lock
God has moments of anger, like as do we. However, some have misconceptions about His response. There's an unspoken law of consequences between forces of good and evil, a result of being born into a sinful world. In observing my daughter, as a very young child, whenever she was disobedient … if I didn't discipline, she'd suddenly become injured or some other mishap. It was as if God was punishing her, or so I thought. Once God gave me an example of how it really is. Imagine yourself standing between sidewalk and curb. Your hands are tied behind your back, with your arms wrapped around a tree. A car is coming and your child runs into street. You've no physical means of reaching that child. Hearing speeding car, first thoughts come faster than you can verbalize, "No! The car will hurt you!" You scream a plea, with anything you think might cause that child to change their direction, before it’s too late. That is how it is with God. Were it any other way, He'd have to take away our freedom of choice.
|
