"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter." (Ecclesiastes 4:1 KJV)
"The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord delivered me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen." (2 Timothy 4:16-18 NLT)
Having said all of that, there is something we must make sure we understand, more than anything else: We are not able to deliver ourselves, no matter how hard we try, we don't have what it takes to make ourselves righteous and holy enough to have fellowship with God! If there was a way, any sort of a way, at all, then Jesus would not have had to suffer and die for our sins, period!
Matthew Henry has this to say about this portion of Scripture, as Solomon has left off speaking about the oppressors, and now he observes the oppressed: "This he did, no doubt, as a prince, to do them justice and avenge them of their adversaries, for he both feared God and regarded men; but here he does it as a preacher, and shows," (four things that make them oppressed).
It is really hard to think back to what it was like before I was saved; mostly because it all seems like a fog, just little glimpses of close encounters, but no real vision of everything else that surrounded me. But what I do remember quite vividly, were the encounters I had with those who brought me a message, even though I rejected and refused to accept what they were saying.
It is also hard to imagine why, as if there was another force within me that was causing my heart to be bitter and callused, unable to yield or receive anything that might change the way I wanted to live. Do we still have some of that within us? Are we completely yielded and submitted to God? Unfortunately, we do!
What I remember the most about my salvation, might be the one thing that I forget about the most: God changed me, in an instant! In that very moment a heavy burden was lifted off of my life, and for the very first time I felt free! Yes, even though I was the jail, none of that mattered, I was free! Changed on the inside, my heart was changed; I had God's Spirit living in me; I could feel the difference.
What I need to remember less, is all the things that I have messed up, since that glorious day! In case you might not know, the hardest person to forgive is yourself...
"In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free." (PSALM 118:5 NLT)
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