The thought of the coming judgment is well calculated to awaken fear even in the stoutest heart. To think of standing all alone before a Judge whose searching gaze can probe with infinite exactness the hiddenmost recesses of our soul, and there detect even the slightest flaw or stain, is not a matter to be set aside lightly. To have each thought and word and work that we must own as ours weighed in the scales of God's unerring justice and know that on their worth will hang our fate for all eternity, cannot but be sobering even to the most fickle-minded.
Yes, naturally we dread the coming judgment and, for most mortals, that fear is not without foundation. But our fear need not be without hope; for He in whose hands the judgment rests has shown us a way by which we may make that dreaded day a day to be joyfully awaited. "Judge not," He tells us, "and you shall not be judged." It is the promise of Him who cannot be deceived and never will deceive us.
Judge not! Is it asking too much? Is the demand too great, that we refrain from probing the secret recesses of our neighbor's soul that none but God and he can ever penetrate?
Judge not! We demand it of others in our own regard even when our conscience smarts beneath the undeniable evidence of ugly guilt. We want the kindly esteem of our fellow men even when we know our utter unworthiness. Then, why not give as much to others? And besides, it is the price of exemption from God's judgment!
O Divine Light, be my Light!
This definitely gave me pause for thought today...especially with the upcoming election. I have my fears and I'm afraid that I'm sometimes not charitable in my opinion of candidates. So while I have to make the right decisions and can share my reasons, I need to hold my tongue and be chartiable in my speech.
No comments:
Post a Comment