Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem
Some time ago, I wrote a satirical piece about and ancient tribe called "The Yushoulda Tribe". After a long drawn out thesis, the punch line was delivered. "Yushoulda" actually meant people who say "You shoulda done this, You shoulda done that, You shoulda listened to me, You shoulda done it MY way," etc. It was a fun exercise and certainly made a point. All of us know at least one member of "The Yushoulda Tribe", and some of us maybe have been card-carrying members!
My fictional Anthropologist has made a brand new discovery, of yet another tribe of ancestors whose DNA still can be found in many of us to this day. This sneaky gene sometimes causes trouble even in people who have been redeemed by The Blood of the Lamb. The Tribe has been given the name of "The Whatiffs". The Whatiffs go back to the dawn of humanity, but seem to be more prevalent in Civilizations experiencing advanced technology, wealth, and comfort. The Whatiffs enjoy infiltrating the thought processes of people who are actually doing well. Here are the symptoms of a Whatiff invasion:
1. Fear of Financial Loss: "Whatiff I lose my job? Whatiff the Stock Market Crashes? Whatiff I get robbed?
2. Fear of Personal Loss: Whatiff this happiness doesn't last? Whatiff my past gets exposed? Whatiff people find out that I'm not such a nice person?
3. Fear of Physical Loss: Whatiff I get COVID? Whatiff I get mugged? Whatiff I die?
Poor people usually don't worry about the Whatiffs, because they are too busy struggling to hold their lives together. That seems to make battling a "Whatiffs" what has become known as a "First World Problem". Jesus addressed this in His Sermon on the Mount when He said Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.(Matthew 6:34, New International Version)
Now, Joseph's Brothers were having a big attack of both The Yushouldas" and The "Whatiffs".
Whatiff Joseph was just waiting for Dad to DIE before he lowers the boom on us! Maybe we Shoulda thought about that before we sold him!
But Joseph, filled with the Spirit of the Living God, had no such intentions. In fact, the very thought that his brothers didn't trust him and his honest forgiveness was enough to make him weep.
Do we sometimes muster the Yushouldas and the Whatiffs against the incredible Mercy and Forgiveness of Almighty God? Do we insult His Grace when we expect the Boom to be lowered at any moment? Both are sins against Faith.
1. The Whatiffs express FEAR for the Future.
2. The Yushouldas express regret and obsession with the past.
Neither glorify God, but become bad habits that can blight our existence.
Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.
"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
God Bless America!
Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.
This Symbol Represents Christians in The Middle East, who desperately need our Prayers.
Hallelujah and Amen
ML/LTOS
