Thoughts for another day

July 11, 2008

Today's verse: 1 Tim. 1:8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

I’ll give you an instance of what happened when I once traveled by train. I had the Bible with me in a bag and my mind was telling me to get it out and read. In my hand I had the newspaper and the other part of my mind was telling me to continue reading it and solving the puzzle I had finished half way. I continued with the puzzle. Then again my mind told me to remove the Bible and read it and I used the same argument, continuing as before. I realised I didn’t want to remove the Bible because the people around would then identify me as a Christian – mind you, this was peacetime and there was really speaking no danger for expressing the fact that I was a Christian. Yet, I didn’t want to identify with Christ!

Eventually, my action and thinking shamed me to the point that I removed the Bible and started reading and I’m sure it was by the mercy of the Spirit of God that I did it; not my own compulsion.

Today’s verse is to lead me into introspection about how precious is the relationship I have with Jesus. Is it deep and meaningful? Am I ready to lay my life on the line for His sake or is what I say just a lot of wind? I have always told myself that I am ready to be martyred for His sake, but when I look at my experience above, I ask myself, ‘Am I really ready to die for Him?’ Questions, for which answers will come only in time.

At the moment let me say that I hardly bother about my Lord. Many of those to whom I minister and teach may be surprised and say, ‘what a fraud’. Yes, my friend I am one. But I trust in His mercy. The same mercy which exalted Peter is the one I am leaning on, so that on the day when the cross beckons me amidst the cacophony of chants demanding my blood and when I see those murderous eyes eating into me, I too may like Stephen turn my face to heaven and pray, ‘Father, forgive…And in this bring Glory to Your Name.’