But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,and they will be My people.
And each person will not teach his fellow citizen,
and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,â€
because they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them.
For I will be merciful to their wrongdoing,
and I will never again remember their sins. Â Â Hebrews 8:10-12 (HCSB)
Yesterday God spoke to me about how He is here – always here when I need Him. I can count on Him. No surprise to me today that He speaks to me about my whining. And let me share first that I have brought my whining and “whoa is me†to it’s own art form in my relationship with Him. And yet I still know that when we pull up a chair together and break out that hot cup of tea, Jesus is right there to listen, speak truth into my life and point me in the right direction. But the whining! Really???!!
Most of us who live in the United States are clueless about how hard life can be. Few of us live in neighborhoods where we very well can be shot or blown up on any given day. We do not live under a government that can breakdown our doors and haul us off to prison without an explanation except that we believe differently than the current leaders. Jesus lived in such a time. And yet He did not spend time talking about the government even when it condemned Him to death and crucified Him. Instead He spoke forgiveness to the government, the church leadership and to me and you. So what does that say to me today?
It certainly tells me where my daily focus should be and its not attacking my government. If I don’t like something the government is doing, then get busy and do something about it – like Jesus did. Taxes and unfair treatment were part of the world He lived in. And so Jesus taught how we should help each other. Give to each other. Encourage each other. Don’t analyze it – just do it! If I think less people should be on welfare, then stretch out a hand to someone who is and help them “up.†Remember that story about how it is better to teach a person how to fish than to just keep giving them free fish? Will there be people who reject that teaching? Sure. There were people who rejected Jesus but did He stop teaching? No, He didn’t. Why should I?
I love the stories I hear about kids, as young as 6 through teens, who have seen the homeless and asked their parents if they could buy a jar of peanut butter and loaf of bread and make sandwiches to give to the homeless or they gave their “extra†clothes to another family. Or want to work in a soup kitchen and end up getting their parents involved. Praise God for their simple logic of there is a problem and what can I do?! Don’t like abortions? Then let’s not wait for the government – let’s give these mothers a practical, real alternative. Open up a home for them to stay and teach them some life skills or help them study for their GED. Support them emotionally as they give their child up for adoption. Even if 5 out of 10 still decide on an abortion – there were 5 who didn’t who probably would have because they thought no one cared about them.
That’s what Jesus did. He taught and lived about love. I need to change my whining and complaining to love and caring. In making this change, God – who He is and what He does – will flow through me to others and He will live in their hearts as He lives in mine. And we will be His children, seeking His face all our days, a seamless flow into the eternity that He has promised.
Spirit of the Sovereign LORD written by Andy Park and sung by Lindell Cooley
