One Sabbath, recently, I had the privilege of fellow-shipping in a school I love. On this particular day, the director/ owner of the school was not present, neither were the teachers, neither the parents, not the head boy/ captain. It was just the students and myself. Like i said, I love these students. They always are at their best behavior: conscious of time, smartly dressed, elegant and composed, speaking proper English, very disciplined. I love them. As a result, I always have very kind words for them out here. I brag about them..just the mere fact that i have been to their school, I brag about it. This school, is owned by an Adventist and only 5-10% are Adventists. the rest are hearing this truth for the first time. Despite this, they delight in the Sabbath. The sing wonderful hymns, behave in the most relevant manner and sit still till sunset. I have many reasons why i love these students. However, on this said sabbath day, I was disappointed, angry, and I felt if i had the power, I would whip them...after all, Prov 23:13 tells me that if i beat a child with a rod, I will not kill him. I arrived at the school at 9.30am. I found some students at the gate in their PJs, taking breakfast, some where running to the shops to buy mandazi, they were unkempt and they did not represent the students I loved, yet, they were they!! They took their time and never bothered that it was approaching 10am. I even heard them speak in kikuyu!!! I was appalled!!! What had possessed them? Later, its 10.30 and we settle for the Sabbath fellowship. The hall is noisy. I get up to speak. I look at them and remember what i know them to be and what i now see them to be. I cannot help but give some tough love. I rebuke them. Call me emotional, but is am teary. Not because I feel they disrespected me, no. that does not even cross my mind. I am mad and sad at/because of them, because they are not living up to the standard, because they are going contrary to the discipline that will ennoble them. Because they are rejecting what is good for them....as i rebuke them, there is pin drop silence. They have a sad countenance, then I remember they are just teenagers. I can see and feel their remorse. they are genuine. and this is what made me teary. and i love them more. See, this is the lesson I learned. In this same manner, we provoke our God to anger. Not because we refuse Him, but because we refuse what is best to us. It is His love for us, that makes Him provoked. It is out of love He rebukes us. and when He does so, He remembers our frame, that we are just dust. This is the God I serve. May we accept the good that He Prescribes for us. In James 1:25, we are told that whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do. and James 2:12 tells us So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. Let us not provoke our God to anger. Bee Em
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 07:48:59 +0000
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