Wonderings

Wonderings:

Proverbs 13:15b

“…the way of the transgressor is hard…”

Have been wondering about this passage, while reflecting on the recent death of a faithful co-laborer in the gospel.

Early in life, this individual was seriously/significantly involved in “substance abuse”.

God sovereignly and wondrously intervened, such that the individual became an ardent proponent of the gospel and Christ’s power to deliver.

Then, 30+ years later, the fruit of those early year’s came back to “bite my friend” in death. Hepatitis C and the associated difficulties, ate his lunch!

Many, whom I heard, attributed this to the “…attack of ‘the devil’…”.

Give me a break!

My dear friend, in the good providence of God, experienced blessing in the face/midst of impending “judgment”.

The fruit of his youthful foolishness erupted in the “senior years”, and, in the vernacular, “ate his lunch”.

Untold scores of men and women were brought into the kingdom as result of the testimony of he and his wife, for which we praise the sovereign God!

Still, as the Proverb indicates: “…the way of the transgressor is hard…”

God forbid, we should ever argue with God for the difficulties/problems we currently face: may they not be merely the fruit of the seeds we casually sowed during the years of our immaturity?

Personally, I ache for the pain presently experienced by the family of my friend. I wonder, “…where are they, in their understanding Of God’s sovereignty?...willing to bow beneath His aweful hand…

God! How I hope that is their experience!

But, this experience prompted within me cause for reflection: Are the there seeds in my past which may, in the providence of God, bear “bitter fruit’ within the context of my “seed”?

Probably so.

Proverbs 13:15b is TRUTH.

Would to God I had been more anchored in TRUTH during my early years. The “seeds” sown back in the 40s/50s and 60s will most probably “eat my lunch” my senior years!

Such is my “destiny”.

But, my plea is… learn from the past: Israel’s (1 Cor. 10:1-13) and mine; for those who know me!

‘Nuff” said!