Thoughts for another day

December 10, 2008.

Today's verse: Hos. 6:6. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

As different as individuals are, so are their views of God and His ways. Take me for e.g. I believe with my entire heart that every Christian should know His Word and live by it. I also believe the mercy of God is so great that it can easily encapsulate and eradicate the sins of the worst sinner, of even them who have killed thousands of people having scant respect for love and life. My belief, which is sincere, comes from a good reading of His Word and also from what I perceive to be the Goodness of God.

On knowledge of the Word, I once came into direct confrontation with a Christian who lives an excellent life and is so blessed with happiness, it’s amazing. He simply told me he’s happy with His life and He has hardly read the Word! To be honest, I am a little envious of the guy because of the excellent rapport he strikes with people and what people say about him. But I still cannot understand how he can live without the Word and profess he doesn’t need it. For it is the only way one can get to know God!

There are others with conflicting and confusing opinions and honestly it’d disturb me, but for the Grace of God. In today’s verse, God says He desires mercy and knowledge of Himself. By this I know He Himself is merciful and knows me well. I believe a critical element of Christian living is harboring mercy in our hearts. Forgiveness has to be the grain of the Christian, no matter what one has suffered from the ‘needer’ of my forgiveness. Jesus eloquently brought this out in Matt. 18:23 ff. I must not forget that if I consider someone as beyond my ability to forgive, then there is someone out there who considers me to be beyond his ability to forgive.

Then I know that we need to know God. In my earlier writings too I have dwelt on the acute need for man to know God to lead better lives and I stress that now. Without this knowledge, there is an inexplicable aridness. How I can live without knowing the One who created me? Jesus warns of it in Matt. 7:21 ff. Here now, is God’s will. It’s up to us to choose and beware the devil will give you many powerful thoughts. We need to know they are a mirage and lean upon His Word.