Everyone Needs Grace!
I came across an interesting scripture:
Then I looked again and considered all the acts of oppression that were being practiced under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. Ecclesiastes 4:1 (AMP)
Having always been one to side with those who are victimized by others, I could right away take the side of the oppressed. If I were to be totally honest, more than once I have questioned God as to why certain things are allowed to take place in this world. As I kept reading this verse it goes on to say that even though the oppressors have power, they have no one to comfort them. WOW! That pulled the cover off of my heart. I had to consider how often I have sided with the "victim", refusing to consider the "oppressor". it is easy to pray for those who have been persecuted, but not so easy to pray for the one doing the persecuting, yet they are just as much in need of God’s grace.
There was a time in my lifetime when we as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ were concerned about sinners. We would pray long and loud prayers for their salvation. We would call out names and the church as a whole would join in earnest praying for God to intervene in their lives. We really believed that God would do that. We rejoiced when the most vile and wretched person would come to faith in Christ and did everything we could to encourage them.
It seems like now it so easy to turn away from all those who have any known sins or flaws and shun them. We boldly desecrate any leadership that we do not agree with, even those who hold our own safety as a nation in their hands.
There are some scriptures that envelop you into a warm and loving feeling from God, there are others that expose the truth that we all need grace!
Maria