I have just
finished reading a little book by Gene Edwards. A little book, but a powerful
message, a message that will stir you to a new way of thinking or will confirm
what you already think. The Prisoner in
the Third Cell, a telling of John the Baptist, his life, to his death; his life, served
up on a platter. The story telling gives
way to a simple, quick and powerful read. John is the prisoner in cell three.
One of the
threads in the story that stood out to me were the prisoners in cell one and cell
two. The one blames men for the fact
that he is in prison, he blames his circumstance on Herod and he blames the
others who conspired against him to take everything he had, he shouts “there is
no end to the wickedness of the human heart”
The one in
cell two blames God, he raised his face and spat curses at God “What kind of a God is it that will allow
such things as we suffer now! Is this the end for men who have loved God and obeyed Him? Has God no pity?”
The question
then is who will John blame; man? God? Or perhaps his cousin? Jesus could
have saved John, He could have done something to ease Johns plight. He performed many miracles, He healed many. Who will John the Baptist blame?
A few months
ago I read through Job. The story of a
man’s suffering, satan makes a deal with God, and God gives him permission to
torment Job. It is the telling of the
powerful faith of a man who suffers greatly but never gives up on God. His faith stands firm just as God told satan
he would. Job never blames satan. I love
that.
Satan doesn’t need any glory by
any of us talking about the power he has over us...I’m sure you’ve heard people
give the blame to satan for the troubles they are in. Satan loves that, it puffs him up; he feeds
on it, the fact that we are giving him any credit, he loves that.
This last
week in our final study we talked a bit about trials and challenges and
suffering, how these are inevitable...we will have troubles. We went on to read examples of others who persevered
through their troubles, they did not blame satan. In fact through their troubles they gave the
glory to God. Their faith stood firm and
God was given the credit, He loves that.
The blame
game...who will you blame?
Who is going
to get the credit; man? satan? Or will you give the credit to God?
"To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen"
1Peter 5:11
