You Decide!
Today I was reading in the book of Proverbs a verse that sparked my interest in looking further as to finding more clarity in what the writer of Proverbs 24 was saying. In the NKJV Bible, Proverbs 24:10-13 reads, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this, does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds’?”
Now, while those three verses may seem clear, however, I confess, for me personally, it required a little additional study. While there could be hundreds of other examples that could be looked at, consider just this one example. The report by National Right to Life uses yearly data from the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute, which contacts abortion clinics directly and is the gold standard for abortion clinic data. This report states that the United States passed an infamous milestone within the past year with its 61 millionth abortion since Roe v. Wade. The total number of abortions since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision now stands at 61,628,584 according to data released January 10th.
What does Proverbs 24 have to do with what you have just read? Consider with me how the verses read from the NLT translation. “If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small. Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die, save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, ‘Look, we didn’t know.’ (Here the Passion version reads; “And why would you say, ‘but it’s none of my business’.”) For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew He will repay all people as their actions deserve.”
So! What about me? How do those words affect me? While I don’t see the ministry of CRA Ministries, Int’l beginning a pregnancy center to help with this crisis, there is something we can do, and that is pray! Pray, and when given an opportunity to speak out…speak lovingly about the truth of ones choice in that matter of whether to save a child’s life. Also, when able, I can also send a love gift (one or more) to those ministry groups who are presently providing help for those under pressure of right or wrong choices. Maybe someone reading this will even feel moved to begin a “help group” in your church that will reach out to your community if one is not presently available.
None of us want to be an accomplice to something that’s not only wrong, but evil! We don’t have to be the one who does the wrong, however, if we have knowledge and don’t so something to try to help put a stop to it, we could stand guilty. Perhaps just one word…one more dollar bill…or one more even brief conversation can change a life for not only a baby, but for the mother as well.
And, for anyone who has had an abortion, please know this from Scripture. There is NO sin of any size that the blood of Jesus is not powerful enough to cover over on our behalf. “Christ suffered for our sins once for all times. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God” (I Pet. 3:18 nlt). And Heb. 10:17 reads, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”
When Jesus went to the Cross for our sins, He took upon Himself every sin you and I have ever committed…past, present, and future! Therefore, I don’t believe that we will ever be punished or rejected for any one of them. However, when it comes time that I come face-to-face with Him, I don’t want to even see the slightest bit of dis-pleasure coming from His face when I look into His eyes.
Blessings, Psalm 20:7 Dale & Jeannie