Holding God's Hand

Hosea 11:3

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,

And out of Egypt I called My son.

 

As they called them,

So they went from them;

They sacrificed to the Baals,

And burned incense to carved images.

“I taught Ephraim to walk,

Taking them by their arms;

But they did not know that I healed them.

 

I drew them with gentle cords,

With bands of love,

And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.

I stooped and fed them.

The story is told of a young boy who had just gotten a brand new winter coat. The little boy loved his new coat, but above all, he loved the warm pockets. The pockets were so warm that he didn’t need to wear any winter gloves. One day the little boy and his father were taking a walk through their snowy, white neighborhood, enjoying the fresh crisp air, the snow on the trees and the crunch of snow beneath their boots. Unfortunately though, there was much ice beneath the snow, making it difficult for the young boy to keep his footing. Several times he slipped, and probably  would have fallen if his father didn’t catch him. His father offered to hold his hand, but the little boy refused. I’m a young man now, and men don’t hold their father’s hands, he thought to himself. Plus, his hands would get cold if he took them out of his pockets. So the two walked on for sometime, until there was a large, slippery piece of ice, covered in snow. The little boy stepped onto the ice and his legs began to wobble. His father tried to catch him, but it was too late. The little boy was already on the ground, sobbing. Lovingly, the father reached out his hand to wipe the little boy’s tears and lifted him up to his feet. And together they walked on, hand in hand.  

The young boy quickly realized that with his hands in his pockets, it was hard for his father  to do anything for him. Many times we are asking for God’s protection, but we are not willing to give up the things of this world to allow Christ to fully work in our lives. Lets take our hands out of our pockets and let God take care of us!!!

Picture Story: Yes, I know.... I did break the rule this time. I was planning on drawing a picture and then taking a picture of my picture, but I soon found out that my drawing skills need ALOT of work. So I decided to break the rule, and post this picture. I love it because it's so beautiful and I can really see the verse from Hosea through this picture.

Blaming Others

For the last little while, I have found myself reading Psychology Today fairly frequently.&nbsfp;

This morning, I read a very interesting article about offenders who killed children in school shootings. 

Although I definitely think that the author's claim that

"Blame, frustration, depression, and anger at others, coupled with the means to definitively punish, is a volatile combination." is a huge stretch. (Frankly, I think it takes much more than that to become a serial killer.)

However, what got me is blame. It's pretty much the root of psychotherapy...blame my mother, my father, society etc. for the way they raised me, for the conditions I was brought up in. The sense of responsibility is gone. 

While there is no doubt that our environment and our parents have a strong impact on us, there comes a time where we must take responsibility for our own actions. I know too many people who are complaining about the woes in their life and linking it to their parents. Their inability to control their credit card is because "my mom never taught me how to manage money" or "she was such a bad steward of her finances". Of course, that is not an ideal situation, but the only way we are going to shed our baggage is if we honestly re-evaluate who is to blame. 

The Bible says: 

"But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load."

-Galatians 6:4-5

Why is this so important? God can't help us with our weaknesses if we are forever blaming others. If we don't acknowledge that the problem is with us, we won't see the need for Him to change us. I want to leave on a message of hope!

The good news is this (one of my favourite verses in the Bible):

"And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

-2 Corinthians 12:9

Happy Monday and Happy Week! No matter what our past has been, we can have perfect peace in knowing that God can use our worst weaknesses and make them strengths. Just give it up to Him!

-Nina