Discover His heart: God sees our hearts and knows our thoughts
“Women and children first!” I’ll never forget that phrase called out over and over again in the movie Titanic as survivors boarded the ship’s lifeboats. It has become the mantra for all disasters, marine and otherwise. The few men who pushed aboard the lifeboats as if they didn’t know the protocol were considered cowards, but actually, most men were lost at sea in that disaster.
Those in the lifeboats who ignored the cries of their fellow passengers seemed heartless. What a helpless feeling to see hundreds and hundreds of people perish for such senseless reasons – pride in a vessel that could not sink and apathy towards others – outrageous! Oh, that we would be even more outraged by the many souls perishing all around us!
@ Proverbs 24
“If you hold back from rescuing those taken away to death, those who go staggering to the slaughter; if you say, “Look, we did not know this”— does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it? And will he not repay all according to their deeds?” (11-12) Some pretty tough words from Solomon, but very significant for us today. It always amazes me that we think we could fool the One who knows everything. When we fail to give the hope of eternal life to our friends and neighbors, we may fool them or those who are watching our lives, but we could never fool Him.
How could we not know? Our newspapers and newscasts are filled with stories from around the world of those who are killed because of their skin color, religion, heritage or simply because they are breathing – unjustly sentenced to die. These atrocities should drive us to our knees with prayers of protection and rescue, they should compel us to give to compassion ministries for their relief and to respond to whatever doors are opened to us. Our protest must be heard!
And speaking of those who are taken away to death, I can’t help but think of the millions of helpless little ones whose lives are snatched from them while they are growing in what should be the most secure place in the world for them. We could never excuse ourselves by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” He knows that we know, yet we do so very little to stop it.
Most consider these verses a call for evangelism, “Rescue those being led away to death…” (NIV). Rescue those who may not be innocent of sin but run through life unaware of sin and its penalty, ignorantly led to their death. The facts are this – sin entered the world in the garden, delivering a death sentence for all of us. All those we encounter each day without the forgiveness of sin are on an eternal Titanic, forever lost from God. Our merciful God doesn’t want anyone to perish, and He sent His Son to save them.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Everyone who believes in Him will not perish! It takes so little effort for us to offer a hand into the lifeboat to those who are sinking. However, we just seem to ignore their silent cries for help at times and look past their struggles to stay afloat.
A song from the old Salvation Army songbook that I heard as a little girl comes to mind. Yes, the song may seem ancient, but the message is lifesaving. “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.” (F. Crosby) The words and story of this old hymn are all about rescuing those who are being led to their death, rescuing them with the message of Jesus.
Moving Forward: Solomon reminds me today that God knows me, and He knows that I know that He has given me a mission.
Tomorrow @ Amos 1-4
Phyllis Benigas 