My world is rarely silent…..how can it be with 4 littles! But sometimes the silence is deafening. For four months we lived in a small cabin in the woods with next to no signal. And every time my phone caught enough signal or we went into town and my phone would receive a text or phone call….my heart would skip a beat hoping it was them. Praying that I was about to hear that they had seen the truth and were seeking Christ in spirit and in truth.
John 4 (KJV)¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯²³ But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
There is this battle going on inside of me between hoping and fearing. Hoping that the next time my phone goes off it’s them saying they have come to Christ…or at least want to talk scripture and dig into the word. And fearing that the next time my phone goes off it will be because it’s too late.
We are memorizing 1 Corinthians 13 with our girls and doing so continually reminds me to keep hoping….after all “charity hopes all things!”
1 Corinthians 13 (KJV)¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.¹¹ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.¹² For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Some days the silence seems more deafening than others….wondering if our letters were received . Some days my heart aches and wishes that God’s Word didn’t say what it says, that it really didn’t have to be this way. Some times I fight that fear more than others….but I will continue to put my hope in Christ. I will continue to pray and trust that He will work all things out.
If we change our stance and welcome their sin into our lives then we are partakers in their sin. We would essentially be saying that willful sin is acceptable.
2 John 1 (KJV)¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¹⁰ If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:¹¹ For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
1 Timothy 5 (KJV)¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯²⁰ Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.²¹ I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.²² Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.
The hope is that the consequences of sin, being separated, will bring a recognition of the sin and thus repentance or a turning away from that sin before it’s too late. The ultimate consequence for sin is hell fire and eternal damnation, separate from God and Christ and His family.
2 Thessalonians 1 (KJV)¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯⁷ And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,⁸ In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:⁹ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
For now the silence is there….. and I’ll turn it into prayer. I’ll trust God to send family across our path to fellowship and rejoice with. And maybe one day it will be them
Matthew 12 (KJV)¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯⁴⁸ But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?⁴⁹ And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!⁵⁰ For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
For now I’ll keep my eyes on Him and on these precious arrows he has given me. I’ll share His true love with them to the best of my ability. I’ll show them a life of no compromise, obeying the Word no matter the cost while continuing to hope in Christ.
Brittany