June 25
‘Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey?’ Romans 6:16a
Bible reading: Psalm 123 (Go to the Bible passage)
We can adapt religion quite well to modern times. All kinds of people wear Christian or satanic crosses. Pop groups sing songs about Jesus, and in serious efforts to be kind to each other, they more resemble followers of Christ than many regular churchgoers.
We may lift up our eyes towards a blue sky and say adoringly how great God is, we may recognize Him in thunder and lightning, but do we truly expect Him to lead us, to tell us what we should do? Or do we declare our most beautiful thoughts ‘divine’, and do words from the Bible that happen to appeal to us, suddenly become the ‘voice of God’?
Those who truly believe that God is a Father to His children, cannot bear anymore with the barren practice of all religiosity, but start looking for Him themselves in the silence of their weary hearts.
Churches may be built - costing millions - young people may organize bold actions on behalf of forgotten groups, but for those who earnestly seek God, the hunger for Him will hereby not be appeased.
Then deep in our hearts, the awareness is born that stunts and activities cannot give life. A prayer arises in our hearts: ‘Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us!’ Then no Bible verse about forgiveness can comfort us anymore.
However, by reading the Bible the hope for mercy does grow. For whoever seeks Him, will continue to hope and wait, until He Himself comforts him. One word from the God of all comfort is then enough to leave all the wretchedness behind us, is enough to move mountains, full of joy, in faith and obedience to Him.

Share This