Thoughts for another day

November 1, 2011

Today's verse: Mt. 18:7. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

The world is soaked in evil; it was the case even during the time of Jesus, for the world is the playground of the evil one and he greatly influences the decisions of men by his lies. Only a few among men having accepted Jesus and blessed by the Holy Spirit, are able to discern the lies of the devil and call his bluff.  Hence, there're wars and lootings.  Greed is the hallmark of people, in some position of power and there's gross disregard to feelings of others among us.  Jesus tells us the world is cursed because of the evil in it and the evil will continue to be there.  But He has a word of caution: cursed is also the man via whom evil happens in the world.  

Going back to Biblical times, we see that God wants to destroy Judah, the southern kingdom due to their sins and that He did that through Nebuchadnezzar.  When Nebuchadnezzar set about doing the task that God had for him, he unleashed his atrocities on the Israelites and annihilated them to the utmost.  Later, in the prophets how God foretells the destruction of Babylon by their enemies (cf. Jer. 50: 9,10,18).  Now although the atrocities were to be wrought on Israel and God did it by Nebuchadnezzar, yet the same Nebuchadnezzar was destroyed by God.  In another time and greater sense, we know Judas betrayed Jesus.  Someone had to betray Him and Judas did it and as a result died a miserable death. 

Today too, there will be evil thrust upon men but we need to ensure it's not done through us; therefore, let the Words of the prayer that Jesus taught us, 'Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil' be the prayer of our hearts for truly in these times, we don't want to be the ones through whom evil comes and thus the retribution of God not be on us.