05 - May

Divine graces are varied and many. By them we have forgiveness of sin, healings for our bodies, provisions as well as protection. The important lesson to take to heart is that we cannot dictate how God will administer these graces.

It is an error of generalization to think that bad things happen to people solely because of the wrong they have committed. In a sense bad things will follow sinful life. But it is not in all cases.

Many of us will go up in arms if accused wrongly. Perhaps we can learn something from Jesus and show more understanding. Those who accuse you wrongly may be dealing with some undisclosed frustrations.

It is a human tendency to parry blames, and that is unhelpful. The way to make progress in life is to accept mistakes and fix them.

In our text we see the need to protect the heart diligently. One way to do this is to never allow anything to go in there that has the tendency of corrupting it. Until you win the internal corruption war, you can never win the corruption war outside.

Since no man can properly put the tongue under control, it is up to God the creator of all things to help in this difficult but necessary task. We must make the prayer of the Psalmist ours too, that God might keep the door of our lips.

As opposed to powerless idols, our God is all-knowing and all-powerful. So powerful is He that He can tell the names and the number of the stars!  Precisely, about how many stars do we have up there? Scientists do not have the actual figure, but the estimation they came up with is mind-blowing.

The safety valve is what the Bible describes as a broken and contrite spirit.  This frame of mind neither boasts of any personal accomplishment nor lives indulgently. Such people simply tremble at the word of God.

The Bible shows two sides of God – His goodness and severity. If we choose one and leave the other, we have a false god on display.

It is those in the Broadway of sin and destruction that must return to us, we are not to abandon the narrow way which leads to life for social acceptance.