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For Your Good
| Bro Gift Lungu (Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe)
I
n many ways, when we look at the com-
mandments of God, we tend to develop a
negative attitude. This has been the experi-
ence in my life, but also in the lives of many
people. This you see more clearly if you talk
about it. Though it is clear that to be in rela-
tionship with a non-believer is against the
Lord, many people are against, or not willing
to live with that. It is something sour to swal-
low. So what must be our attitude towards the
commandments of God, especially the one of
relationship? If we are to answer this question,
we need to listen to what God says of this
commandment. Listen then, to what the word
of God says:-
“But am I the one they are provoking?” de-
clares the Lord. “Are they not rather harming
themselves, to their own shame?” (Jer. 7:19).
Is it not amazing how God puts this before our
eyes? Think about it, my brother or sister, to
disobey God is to do harm to yourself. As much
as we express our love to God by obeying His
commandments, God expresses His love to us
by giving us His commandments. He knows this
life very well, He created it, so He well knows
better than we the way we should live it. He
is always concerned about us as His children.
This calls us to trust God with our lives. How-
ever, this is one of the difficult things in the
Christian life, to trust God fully with your life.
“Your wickedness will punish (correct) you,
your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider
then and realize how evil and bitter it is for
you when you forsake the Lord your God…”
(Jer. 2:19)
Yes, you will be corrected by your wickedness
and that will not be a good experience. God
always protects us by giving us command-
ments, and we are well assured of His love.
My Blind Friend
| Bro Sylvester Tembo (Mzuzu, Malawi)
H
ow long have you been in that state? To be
blind is indeed an unbearable burden. If
we are blind, we shouldn’t lose heart,
because with God there is a pur-
pose.
On one occasion the disciples of
Jesus asked him regarding the
man who was born blind, as to
who sinned, himself or his par-
ents? In reply, Jesus said that
the man was in that state so
that the works of God should be
revealed in him.
In the Bible there is a record for us
of the man who was blind, known by
the name of Bartimaeus, who was the son
of Timaeus, who again was always on the road-
side begging for his daily living. One day he
heard news of Jesus – that he was passing by
where he was. I am sure that Bartimaeus had
heard much of the great physician Jesus, who
was at that time passing near where he was.
And so he did not waste much time, but
straightway cried for help – “Son of
David, have mercy on me.”
My blind friend, do you know
that Jesus is still very powerful
today as before. For all author-
ity in heaven and in earth is in-
vested in him by his Heavenly
Father. This is the man who is
able to help us all, who are
blind physically and spiritually.
Let us cry for help like the son of
Timaeus did, for he did it not once,
but continuously until he was heard by
Jesus. Of course, our faith in him must play a
great part. May I ask you all – friends who may
wish to read this article - to consider our ways.
God bless you.