Prayer Journal
Monday, March 3, 2003
"Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?" 2 Thessalonians 2:5
If you're over fifty years of age, you've no doubt had a "senior moment." Such an occasion is that time you fail to remember something and blame it on the fact you're getting overly mature, youth-challenged, or close to "pushing up the tulips." If you feel like that, you can no doubt relate to having such a problem.
Now, I know of no law of nature that dictates an older person will suffer a loss of memory, but then again, I may have simply forgotten it. Thankfully, I still remember my name; its everyone else's that seems to give me trouble.
Paul told the Christians at Thessalonica a time was coming when things would get bad, but they should rejoice - God would rescue them from the future tribulation. Obviously, some of them thought it couldn't get any worse and imagined they were in that terrible period of time known as "Jacob's Trouble." That meant they must have missed the rescue.
I can relate to Paul as I'm sure, do most public speakers. You prepare a lesson, deliver it as planned, make your points, give your conclusion and offer the challenge. Its only later that you hear the word spreading that you said something "wrong."
Being diligent and desiring to know the source of the confusion, you ask people what they heard you say. More times than not you'll find that you offered enough information for the listeners to draw the proper conclusion. However, some of them only listened to a portion your message, assembled what they "heard" and dutifully arrived at the wrong conclusion.
You aren't like the Thessalonian Christians, are you? Did you hear the preaching of Matthew 27:5 and Philippians 2:2 and listen to only part of both verses? If so, you might come away with the wrong impression: "Judas then left them and hung himself from a tree; make my joy complete and do likewise."
Seriously, isn't it a good thing to hear everything before drawing a conclusion? But, isn't it even better to then balance your conclusion with what you know to be God's way before acting on your impression? The only way to do that is to hear everything God is saying to you; "the whole truth and nothing but the truth," as Detective Friday used to say.
I pray we'll be faithful in listening to the whole truth before taking action. Otherwise, not only may we be in danger, but also those who listen to our half-truth and trust it because they trust us.
Just Thinkin'... WebServant
Scripture comes
from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New
York International Bible Society
Copyright © 1998-2003
James R. Green and Prayertower Ministries - All Rights Reserved
I'll pray today for...
* My spouse
* My children
* Their friends
* My friends
* My employer
* My city
* My country
* Civic leaders
* Schools
* Teachers
* The sick
* The lost
* Those in despair
* The hospitalized
* The grieving
* Widows
* Orphans
* My church
* My pastor
* Church leaders
* Other churches
* Persecuted church
* Missionaries
* Myself
