You Don’t Have To Settle For Second Best!

But God is faithful and just, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and unfailing love.
Check out Psalm 145:8; Psalm 86:5; Psalm 103:8.

When we face opposition and we don’t know who is right and who is wrong, who do we turn to? There is only one source that is just and faithful; it is the Sovereign Lord. We need to turn to Him for the answer and the way forward.

The arm of flesh may fail us but the Lord, God is faithful and His unending love for us reaches beneath the oceans and rises high above the highest stars. Such is His power, majesty and dominion.

How do we handle human affairs in a God-like manner? Seek God’s face in much prayer and supplication. Our knowledge is limited to the here and now. It is tainted by our fleshly reasoning. The ways of the Lord are higher and more superior to ours. So why should we hesitate? Turn to God and seek His divine will.

Appealing to the emotions is a form of blackmail, it is called ‘emotional blackmail’. It produces results after its own kind, i.e. emotional ones which cloud reasoning. This is like playing with fire; somebody is sure to get burnt!

When there is a grievance, it stems from hurt. When people are hurt, they are not happy and while some people are better than others in masking it, hurt will invariably rise to the surface, just like oil in the ocean’s sea. Hurt needs to be healed; it needs to be brought to the surface and dealt with. Sometimes the two grieving parties can deal with it but sometimes a mediator is needed. Either way, hurt needs to be dealt with; there is no sweeping it under the carpet. It can fester into something bigger and uglier if not addressed.

When people are hurt, their thinking and even their reasoning is impaired. It can lead to a chronic malaise. This is dangerous for the individual and those associated with him. Serial killers did not become that way overnight!

Romans 12:9-21 shows how to address hurt using brotherly love. Most importantly, when we do what is right in the sight of God, His loving kindness and tender mercy propels us to mend situations and please God. A repentant heart seeks with reverential fear after God’s forgiveness and pardon. By addressing hurts that hinder us we turn direction and start again. It is like you have a clean slate.  But God knows man and his fallible nature so with His help, we can live an overcoming and victorious life. This is how our sovereign God works! □
Linda Pearl