Suffer the little children...
Recently I found myself feeling the burden from the care of the churches that Paul describes in his second letter to the Corinthians, as I never had felt it before. One of the most difficult things for any pastor who truly loves the people he serves is to deal Biblically with the issue of exposed and un-confessed sin. The need for confronting sin is so very well explained by the apostle. There is no way of mistaking the clear teaching of Scripture that sin must not be allowed to spread as leaven in the body. It is the responsibility of the pastor to deal with sin in such a way as to ultimately lead the sinner to repentance, with restoration as the principal objective. The appropriate response of the sinner should be one of repentance. However, such is not always the case. It is when the choice is blatantly made to continue in the sin, regardless of the consequences to the individual and to others, that my heart is broken, and I cry out to God in desperation.
Yet, in answer to the hurt and discouragement I was facing, God sent a little angel-a seven-year-old daughter of Eve-to encourage me. Only minutes after having to experience such a knockout blow from the enemy of our souls, the Lord was gracious to me in a way that only He could have orchestrated. The child spoke with sympathy that melted my heart, saying, “It’s hard to be a pastor, isn’t it?” and then she gave me a hug that had Jesus in it. I was refreshed instantly. God had brought her at just the right time and I began to praise Him for His goodness. From that moment, I knew the Lord was with me and He was telling me, “I’ll take that burden now”.
Thank you, Lord.
Yet, in answer to the hurt and discouragement I was facing, God sent a little angel-a seven-year-old daughter of Eve-to encourage me. Only minutes after having to experience such a knockout blow from the enemy of our souls, the Lord was gracious to me in a way that only He could have orchestrated. The child spoke with sympathy that melted my heart, saying, “It’s hard to be a pastor, isn’t it?” and then she gave me a hug that had Jesus in it. I was refreshed instantly. God had brought her at just the right time and I began to praise Him for His goodness. From that moment, I knew the Lord was with me and He was telling me, “I’ll take that burden now”.
Thank you, Lord.