Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
The romantic is one who believes good effects can come from evil deeds. She marries a violent drunkard because she sees his remorse in his sober moments. He follows this preacher because he drinks beer like a real man. Romantics wage war thinking that some good will come of it. Romantics "hope against hope" that what they think might be there is actually there.
The Lord teaches us to trust our own instincts and insights without the glitter of romance. A tree is judged by its fruit. A good tree produces good fruit; a bad tree produces bad fruit.
That should not be so difficult to understand but we often get confused. We might consider the intentions of evildoers, or what they say were their intentions, and rather than the deeds and their effects. Divorce relieve some problems but it creates many far worse problems. Abortion seems like a simple solution after an unfortunate mistake. Suicide looks like a simple answer to a plethora of complicated problems but it has eternal significance. The crime may haunt the suicide's family and neighbors for generations, especially if they deny the wrongdoing and never effectively forgive the dead.
Children, let no one deceive you. The Lord teaches us to see good and evil clearly and to judge accordingly. A man carrying a gun in an airport or a shopping mall is evil. Act now! Don't hope for the best. A person who gives you the creeps is creepy; don't let your children near him.
Pray for the messianic wisdom of King David:
No one who practices deceit can remain within my house. No one who speaks falsely can last in my presence. Morning after morning I clear all the wicked from the land, to rid the city of the LORD of all doers of evil. (Psalm 101)
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.