I Chronicles 7:21-23 (NLT)
Ephraim's sons are killed while trying to steal livestock from the farmers near Gath. With limited information we could make many assumptions about this story. We might first try to determine if the actions of these two sons are dishonorable. Even if you know very little of Scripture, most people might recognize Gath as the hometown of the giant that fought with David and was killed by his own sword after being felled by a small stone. You could then surmise that the actions of these two men might be honorable. They could be disrupting the enemy by making raids on their territory. If that were so, you might cheer them for their courage in facing the enemy. Or, and this is more likely, they could be common thieves who are looking to get something for nothing. There would then be no honor in their deaths. Their death would bring great shame to their family. So the question then would be, "what is this man mourning"? Is he mourning the character of his sons and the embarrassment that their actions brought to the family name? Is he mourning the loss of relationship with his sons due to the consequences of their sin? Perhaps you a parent who is in a similar situation. Maybe your son has involved himself in a gang or is dealing drugs. You know that their actions may ultimately lead to their death and you feel powerless to stop them. Don't give up hope. God is able to change the circumstances. He may choose not to. Either way, as a parent, you can not live your child's life for them. But you can help. Intercede for them through prayer and fasting. Don't give up even if it appears that God is doing nothing. Continue to trust God that He has a plan and a purpose for their life even if it is a painful one. There is comfort to be found in this difficult passage. First, there is no condemnation for the man in mourning for the death of his two sons. There is also no accusation that the father was responsible for their actions. It's OK to mourn for the loss of the child even if they paid the ultimate price for their rebellion. Do not feel guilty for grieving. Second, God replaced what was taken away from this man. After this tragedy, another son was given to him - Beriah.
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I haven't shared anything on this page in a few days and I must say that I am disappointed. The goal was to blog 3 times a week. As I was praying after my daily reading this morning, my heart was heavy for those people close to me that are going through the pain of a divorce right now. I wish I could turn off the pain. Having experienced it myself, I know how difficult it is. People try to console or encourage you but even though they may have gone through a similar situation, you never feel like they really understand what you are dealing with. So how do you reach out to those that are suffering? Dealing with a Christian is one thing because the assumption is that you are both standing on Gods Word and the promises and commands contained in its pages. But how do you reach out to a non-Christian? How do you get them to understand that this is not what God intended? They feel abandoned by everyone, including God so how can you get them to understand that God hates divorce just as much as we do? How can you tell them that "all things work together for good, for those that love God, that are called according to His purpose" when they don't love God? How do you console a Christian brother whose wife, professing to be a Christian, goes so completely against God's command and serves him with divorce papers? How do you stand firm in your own life when the loneliness becomes overwhelming? I don't have all the answers. So I continue praying. I reach out to those hurting when I can. I share my story - how God took the shattered pieces of my life and made something beautiful from them.
For those of you that read this, for those of you hurting, I do have this advice...
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I start every day by digging into Gods Word. I try to journal what I learn so that I can remember it and apply His principles to my daily life. I challenge you to do the same. Archives
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