What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 4:1-3

For Your Encouragement

I saw myself today, and I did not like it. It’s not that I haven’t seen me before. I just couldn’t believe that caricature in the mirror of God’s word was me.

Self-delusion!

Wishing and projecting my faults on others!

Don’t we all look good when we adorn the person by our side in our filthy clothes?

How long did I think I could run in that deceptive suit? How far could I go from the One who sees my misery? The Ostrich looked better than I did. “God doesn’t see … God doesn’t know … God doesn’t care.” Pathetic human being I was! But today, I have been overwhelmed by His knowledge, and it’s too wonderful for me (Ps. 139:1-6).

How could I forget that God is Spirit and that He fills every space? Is heaven not His abode? Did He not make the depth of the earth? Can dawn break without His command? Who commanded the sea to keep its boundaries? (Job 38:8-11). How foolish could I be to think that I could escape from Him in any of these places? Doesn’t He hold and guide me by His mighty hand? (Ps. 139:7-10).

Oh! And those piercing eyes? What is too dark for their inspection? What is so cleverly concealed for them to perceive? Didn’t He make darkness and light? Isn’t He the Sovereign Ruler, and at His command, do they not open for His inspection? Pathetic person that I am!

So, why have I been running away for so long? Why have I blamed everybody for the turmoil within me? How many people haven’t fallen to the carnage of my selfish desires? I saw their Mercedes and stole it in my heart. I threw them out of their homes and possessed everything. I invaded their office space, occupied their chair, and ordered everybody around. Boy! It felt so good.

But who was I kidding? Where was the peace, I desired so much? (To Be Continued)