Once a pastor wife said that her son mentioned to her that my son is one of a kind. My reply to her was "my son did not mention anything about your son (even though as a parent, I do observe who my children mix with in church and I also have some thoughts about them too) and that he has never said anything negative about any of his friends thus far to us. I would consider that being a loyal friend who accepts people as they are."
I too, have friends who have their strengths and weaknesses and who have many times "failed" me but if Jesus forgives me and ask me to forgive and move on, who am I to say otherwise? Thus, by His grace, we are still friends. I too have my weaknesses and am thankful for those who accepted me. My daughter once asked "Mom, how did you continue to stay in touch with friends since your primary school days?" It takes 2 hands to clap.
Even in the case of Job,what made God angry is that they said God was punishing Job for his sins.
Perhaps the reason this angered God so much
is that it is implicitly very proud and arrogant.
In essence, Job’s friends were claiming to
know the mind of God.
They were
presuming to be so wise as to know exactly what God’s secret thoughts and
motives were.
It is arrogant for any
mere human to presume to know what God has not revealed (Isaiah 55:8-9). We may not say it out, but our thoughts made us feel and act in ways we think we are mightier than others at times.
My husband and I have been down in the valley for quite a period of time now and it has been hard, very hard. I would say this is the worst period we are in ever since we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. But by His grace, we will continue to worship Him, by His grace, we will continue to commit ourselves and family to Him. By His grace, we want to move on, by His grace, we want to serve Him for we acknowledge that without Him we are nothing and we need Him.
I echo what Elisabeth Elliot wrote
"GOD is GOD. If He is GOD, He is worthy of my worship and my service. I will find rest nowhere but in His will, and that will is infinitely, immeasurably, unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to."
One of my favourite songs :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuZltbXH9KQ&feature=related
Sorry you have to view this picture wrong side up. I have wasted 15 minutes trying to rotate it but it just does not work ;( This was the ice-cream maker a good friend of ours gave me for my birthday last year. I did not touch it till July this year as I do not have enough space in my freezer to leave the tub there for 12 hours before making any ice-cream. Thus, it took me one year to decide to create a space for this ice-cream tub. Some procrastination :-D
