THE GUILT OF INNOCENCE

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collect stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and said, ‘God have mercy on me, a sinner.’ Luke 18:10-13

We are all guilty of it. An assumed sense of INNOCENCE…even before God who in actual fact knows more than we are willing to give or acknowledge. It all started in the Garden of Eden. Adam was so over the moon when God brought him the most beautiful thing he had ever seen – Eve, his wife. For the first time in his existence, he had found someone who truly resembled and complimented him in many ways. His appreciation of her is fully seen in his words:

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man.” Genenis 2:23

But its not long after those words are declared do we see a sudden change of heart. Eve is not all she seems to be, Adam tries his best to convince God. Of course, she is quilty and he can only be GUILTY OF INNOCENCE …. “This woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Gen 3:12

Just like Adam, it is so easy to full into that trap of the guilt of innocence. We look at ourselves with a less critical eye but we are quick to judge others and pass on a deadly sentence. We are the first to pick the stone of condemnation … yet in reality we are guilt of a greater sin than the guilt one. As Jesus reminds us in the above parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, it is always safe to stand before God as the GUILTY ONE and find mercy than play safe with the GUILT OF INNOCENCE and find only condemnation.

The choice is always yours!

BE WARNED: HE IS YOUR COVERING

Ruth 3:3-4 Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing-floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and UNCOVER HIS FEET and lie down. He will tell you what to do.

I love the love story of Ruth and Boaz. Of all the Bible love stories, this one means more to me than any other. Why, because it represents my love story! I remember how God put these words in my heart a couple years before I met my husband. Right from the time I was a baby Christian, I knew I had a calling for service. And of course, my calling wasn’t obvious but I served for years within my local church all the same. Then…as time went by and a husband seemed almost out of reach, God put these words in my heart. ‘I WILL GIVE YOU A MINISTRY BUT FIRST I WILL GIVE YOU A HUSBAND FOR YOUR COVERING!

When the Lord spoke those words, they meant little or rather made no sense to me then. A covering? Never before had I heard someone being given a husband for a covering. But…when my husband came along and consequently God made my call to write so crystal clear, then I understood what He meant. In every sense of that word, I am COVERED!

What then is a covering?

A NAGGING WIFE?

Proverbs 21:9 Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a QUARRELSOME WIFE.

Proverbs 27:15-16 A QUARRELSOME WIFE is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil in the hand.

A quarrelsome wife? OR in other words…A NAGGER!

Nag means to scold or annoy CONSTANTLY; to be a CONSTANT source of discomfort or worry; a person, especially a woman, who nags.

Before I start, I need to say this. Do I scold or annoy my husband? That is if you would like to know. YES, I DO!!! But with this difference, I don’t nag him CONSTANTLY. Why, because…I might end up losing him for good.

Here is an example…a personal witness. There are a couple I know, unmarried but living together with three little children. The lady, I can say is an acquaintance. So, one day I ask her why they don’t want to get married and her answers are vague and evasive. It so happens that her partner comes home and as he joins in the conversation, I ask him the same question.

DAUGHTERS OF SARAH

1 Peter 3:6 Like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are HER DAUGHTERS if you do what is right and do not give way to FEAR.

Like mother like daughter, goes the saying. But lets have a look into the case of Sarah. If she had lived in our day, I wonder if she would have posed as cover-girl for one of the style and fashion magazines? Sarah had qualities about her that attracted the male species time and again. But what was it? Was it a well-trimmed body, with make up and jewelry that made her stand out in the crowd? I doubt it. While it is true, Sarah was a very beautiful woman, there was something else about her that made her irresistible: HER NAME.

You see, before God had changed her name to Sarah, she was just an

THREE WOMEN, ONE HUSBAND.

I Corinthians 11:3 Now I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

The memory of that day is still vivid and alive…it almost feels like yesterday. Yes, of course its the day you walked down the aisle to say ‘I do’ to your Prince Charming. Let me refresh your memory: It was love at first sight. Following many months of courtship, you both are convinced that you are meant for each other. The date is set. After countless hours of meticulous planning for your big day, it finally arrives. And it is perfect; the hidden beauty in you outshines in your carefully picked bridal gown. The groom…i.e your new husband is YOUR KING!

The first two years he remembers to buy flowers to celebrate the anniversary. The third year he just buys chocolate. By your tenth anniversary, he has missed so many opportunities than you could care to count. But something has changed along the way. YOU. You have changed beyond recognition. YOUR KING no longer CAPTIVATES you. In fact, YOU DESPISE him.

Your story is not unique. In my bible, there was once a love story…as a matter of fact, three love stories but each with a different ending. One husband with three lovely women. King David’s love story:
Michal was the perfect wife for a young King in waiting. The first couple of years were unforgettable. Then a dance changed their destiny as a couple…Michal remained childless for the rest of her life…she had missed her destiny. Abigal was different. Her husband Nabal was a fool but she was wise and lovely. She quickly seized the opportunity which her husband had missed; lives were spared and before long…she too became a part of royalty…she had earned her destiny by her wisdom. Bethsheba was beautiful but another’s wife. But King David couldn’t resist her. Sin was committed, a child was conceived and a murder was conspired. Then came the consequences, short and long term ones. But still, their love story ended beautifully. Solomon gave us the Proverbs to keep you and I from making the same mistakes as they did.

YOUR HUSBAND IS STILL YOUR KING…

LOVE IN COLOUR 7!

Genesis 9:12-13 And GOD said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set the RAINBOW in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Have you ever imagined how life would look like without colour? Just visualize yourself going for shopping at a fruits and vegetables stall fully stocked with different varieties of foods except for one thing…they are all in one colour. Again think how life could be if we all had the same ideas, thoughts or convictions? But before I start your imagination working, I would call you to think through this with me. What if God didn’t give mankind the sign of the RAINBOW in the cloud. Thankfully, even though God knew every inclination of man’s heart is evil from childhood…He still gave MAN four wonderfully and colourful seasons: White snowflakes during Winter, blooming flowers in Spring, Revitalizing sun in Summer and The Rain in Autumn to refresh and replenish the earth. And to crown it all…THE RAINBOW COLOURS OF LOVE NEVER CHANGES. God still loves mankind and that includes YOU!!!!