The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"Opportunity - Always"
Since the invention of the telegraph, communication has increasingly become more and more possible among human beings, to the point that now we can almost instantly transmit information and images throughout the world. One thinks of Daniel's end time prophecy, presently being fulfilled with breathtaking rapidity, "Knowledge shall be increased" (Daniel 12:4).
One challenging aspect of this exponential advance involves our exposure to the pain, difficulty, sadness, and tragedy that characterizes the world in its present state. We know far more about the fallenness of the present creation than any other generation. In most cases, we can do nothing about the sorrow with our hands and our means, which adds to our difficulty of knowing how people and other creatures hurt. However, for born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, opportunity does exist for us to do something. Always.
"The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalm 145:9).
"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men" (Galatians 6:10).
"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father" (Matthew 10:29).
"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (I Timothy 2:1).
If by faith we see God's tender mercies over all His works, and if we are called to do good to all, and if we can pray, we always have opportunity to act - with our hearts. We can seek the heart of God, who can also act with His hand in response to our intercessions for the hurting. In most cases, we will not know how He has answered our pleas. We will only know that He has done so according to His merciful character, wisdom and purpose. Indeed, whatever challenge we feel for the hurting proceeds from the "full of compassion" Lord whose administration and allowance of pain in the present does not preclude the sorrow He feels in seeing His creation suffer (Psalm 86:15).
We must not miss or neglect opportunities to help those whose suffer in pain and sorrow. If we can help with our hands and our means, we do so, as led our Father's guidance and enabling. No "if" exists, however, regarding the help of our hearts in seeking the help of His heart and hand. Born again believers in Christ have access to the throne of grace, from which the Lord of grace beckons us to seek His provision of grace for the hurting. We have been given much awareness in our times of the sufferings and sorrows that challenge God's creation and creatures. We must act with our hands if possible, but this will be limited. Thus, we act always with our hearts, gratefully availing ourselves of the privilege and responsibility of prayer in confidence that our Father desires to comfort, help, provide, and rescue with tender mercies far more than we can imagine, but of which we can be absolutely certain.
"Thou art good, and doest good."
(Psalm 119:68)
God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7)
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