25 Days of Christmas - Day 9

25 Days of Christmas - Day 9

"And throw the good-for-nothing serveant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."Matthew 25:30

In yesterday's post there was mention of the "outer darkness" and since we believe the Holy Spirit is wanting to talk to us about that, we will spend some time on that subject today.

While we are moving in a time of coming to have a greater understanding of God's love for us, He also desires that we recognize that He is our heavenly Father and He chastens those He loves - not to hurt them but to help them grow up. God knows the dangers that are out there that can cause us harm even better than good parents in the natural. We have to renew our minds to the fact that God is our Father and not a deity that is waiting to hand us out goodies all the time, that grants our every wish. God loves us and wants us to grow up just as we want our children to grow out to be good, responsible citizens. As children of God we recognize that our citizenship is in heaven and thus need to know how to live accordingly. Amen? Thus the Lord has given us His Word, His instruction manual so to speak, on how to do that.

What good parent does not want the best for their children? Who have not heard warnings from their parents about what can happen to them if they do not follow their instructions? In Matthew 25 Jesus is warning us what will happen to those who fail to use that which is given them or from a lack of being prepared. We can read more about the warnings of Jesus pertaining to the "outer darkness" in Matthew 8:12, 22:13 and the "gnashing of teeth" in Matthew 13:43, 50,24:51, 25:30 and Luke 13:28 so it was not a one time warning. God desires that we not only be a part of His family but that we be a productive part of that family. In the garden He told Adam and Eve to go forth and multiply. In Matthew 25 we see through the parable that Jesus is telling us that we are given talents that God desire we use, to multiply them. Now, many might think it is unmerciful or unkind that that servant to be thrown into the outer darkness but Jesus is showing us what happens by our actions or lack of actions. Take a parent who tells their child they have to do their homework and the child doesn't heed the direction of the parent. As they grow their grades suffer because of their lack of effort. Yet the parent continues to instruct the child to do their homework! Now graduation day approaches and the child is told by the school that he cannot graduate, he has not made the marks required. The child cries out, "Its not fair!!! I don't want to stay back when my friends are graduating!!!" In their anger they beat the walls and stomp their feet. Now, are we going to hold their parents or the teachers responsible for their failure to graduate? Are we going to say that it was unfair that they did not graduate (or ended up in outer darkness)? No. It was the child that was responsible for their own actions, or lack of them. Once we see ourselves as a child of the One True God, with responsibilities set in our lives, perhaps we will view differently the "instruction" given to us by our heavenly Father and loving Brother. And it is to that goal these devotionals are set forth, to present to God a "good report" of our progress on Christmas Day, to show Him our thankfulness for His love and goodness towards us by living our lives as a glory to Him.

Now, let us progress forward...