The truth revealed as we read about Hazael also reminds us of David who became so angry and indignant when he heard about the awful behaviors of a rich person described to him by Nathan. Let me refresh your memory of the Biblical narrative.
The Lord directed Nathan to David at which time Nathan told him the following: "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!..."
Heart-deception made David quick to condemn another man's sinful deeds and be totally oblivious to his own. Heart-deception told David all was well when God was in actuality displeased with him. Heart-deception blinded David to the digressive state of his own character. Heart-deception so deadened David's soul that he did not realize God's Spirit had departed from him.
The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?
Perhaps you have read or heard the legend told of a man who believed he was being pursued by a monster. His life was one catastrophe after another. Fire wood cut for the winter some how caught fire, the roof of his barn fell in, his cattle were dying and his land was eroding. The man believed the monster he would see in the dark evening shadows lived in a chasm near his farm and was responsible for his problems.
One night upon seeing the monster he cried out in anguish and attacked the form which in turn grabbed him and they began to wrestle. It was a terrible fight. The man was knocked down many times but managed to rise each time and finally with a great rush of adrenaline he slammed the monster down to the ground pinning it down and griping its throat with his hands. Just as the man drew his knife and prepared to kill this dark, ominous creature, clouds which had hidden a full moon moved and allowed light to shine brightly and the man finally beheld the face of his adversary. The face of the monster was his own.
What lucidly emanates from Scripture is that many of us, like David and Hazael, are not aware of the evil that lurks in our hearts. We do not want to admit, that at any given moment we are capable of committing the vilest of crimes. Yet, all around us are individuals who later, would not have believed they could have committed such horrendous acts. There are so many, many beacons who fell into evil, but who would not have thought it possible beforehand.
So what can be done about this seemingly undefeatable foe? What is the remedy? What is the cure? Is there any power to break the delusion; to expel the poison and save the soul?
Of course. God in His loving kindness and mercy provided us with the cure. He sent us a heart specialist; an expert in cardiovascular disease. He is the balm in Gilead. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. His blood is our heart regulator. Nothing can save us from ourselves except the blood of Jesus.
Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.
You are welcome to visit amen ministries: your soul's service station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library.
Blessings to all!
maide service in Lincolnshire ..Being critical of Buddhism isn't easy.Buddhism is the most likable... Read More
Greetings my Dear Beloved SoulsWe have heard your cries, your... Read More
Last Friday night, I met a Christian at a prayer... Read More
Greetings Divine Ones, I am going to ask you a... Read More
I was walking down the street the other day, walking... Read More
Celebrities and common people all over the world are known... Read More
My thoughts can get a little edgy at night. Possibly... Read More
Ephesians 4:4-6 indicates that Christians ought to practice one single... Read More
It is life, time for breathing deep, sighs and touching... Read More
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on... Read More
A Tarot card deck typically consists of 78 colorful cards... Read More
One does not have to live long to realize that... Read More
We make sense of our world via the senses. The... Read More
One of the most difficult barriers... Read More
Once you become saved and born again, the Bible tells... Read More
Believe it or not most astral Attacks are not caused... Read More
The fastest way to raise your frequency is to do... Read More
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in... Read More
We as human beings consider ourselves the most intelligent species... Read More
The Mind in an Advanced Thought System:The center of our... Read More
When I first heard Donnie McClurkin's song, "We Fall Down... Read More
Before Donna was born she took with her a dollar,... Read More
Prayer. It's the foundation of a Christian mom's life. Why?... Read More
I honestly am not sure why this hit me so... Read More
One day Gilligan ventures off as usual into the jungle.... Read More
cleaning lady near Deerfield ..Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in... Read More
Connecting with the Moon phases, the Full and New Moon... Read More
My fiancee' and I frequent a restaurant in L.A. called... Read More
Being"You have taken yourself to be something that you are... Read More
Some of us might hear from time to time that... Read More
Ever wonder what happened to the family dinner hour? Or... Read More
1. The name Uriel means "Light of God" or "Flame... Read More
1. Life is a precious gift given to us by... Read More
What does it take to live life holistically?It definitely does... Read More
Be filled with the Spirit.? always giving thanks to God... Read More
Prayer from a child's simple bedtime prayer, to the prayers... Read More
This article is the 1st part of an open response... Read More
The fastest way to raise your frequency is to do... Read More
"Spirit is beyond the void of space. This realm, beyond... Read More
Spirit - All Around Us, All of Us, Every One... Read More
Have you ever thought about how your orientation to time... Read More
The term spirituality is a confusing term. Usually, when one... Read More
Are you always looking for bargains, especially something that you... Read More
I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Maybe you've heard... Read More
The Evil Eye has been around since the beginning of... Read More
The question isn't, "Is there life after death."Rather, the question... Read More
Each of us has far more potential to serve the... Read More
Those living on the highest levels of life have learned... Read More
There's a Native American belief that before we are born,... Read More
The concept of integrity has arisen often in discussions of... Read More
Spirituality |