An excerpt and transcription of Clare's [ Still Small Voice] musing.
Clare: I believe all or most of us have suffered terribly at the hands of our children who do not understand their dedication to God. Some of us have marriages that were not brought together by God. Some of us married before we were Christians and as a result were unequally yoked.
When the Lord brought us into His kingdom, the dynamics in the family changed and they even discovered genetically that there's certain portions of their brain that are more disposed to God and if the Lord brings you together with really a godly man and you are a godly woman, then I would imagine that those parts of your anatomy are fairly well matched and suited and there's a pretty good chance that your offspring will be just like you but when you're brought in to a marriage or you step in to a marriage or relationship where there's not an equal yoke of spiritual mindedness, you can anticipate all kinds of grief in the future.
As a result of those kinds of marriages , our children are divided on the faith. As they observe one of the parents in disagreement with the other, and to make matters worse, the whole world is on the side of the ones who are not really interested in God. There's just tremendous opposition with every faith in raising your children. When we are in a marriage where we're not equally yoked, this is a situation for me. I did not marry according to God's will. I married according to the flesh and have four children. I got one that is holy, one that's an atheist and one that 's too busy for God and one that doesn't really care one way or the other. So, it's an interesting mix. I get some solace from one that loves God, but the other ones really don't understand me and think I'm nuts. As many people who listen to our channel also think I'm nuts. And to them I would say, I am a fool for Jesus. Who are you fool for? I don't mind being a fool or crazy as long as I am right with God. So, sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
As this insight was given to me this morning by the Lord Jesus into His Father's heart, I realized the Lord has been doing such a skillful job of laying the groundwork for us to be able to see how terribly wounded and hurting He and Abba are about the outcome of the lives of these children they give birth to and send into the world to live out their own lives. Because the message previous to this one about the situation in Ramadi where beheadings are going on of Christians and of Muslims not of same sect as these Muslims. Oh, it's such a tragic situation, so tragic. Just checking the news on, Exequiel and I turned to absolute jello in reading what's been going on we could hardly walk. It was so terrifying and so sad. I see God our Father looking towards the horizon. Tears running down His cheeks, really children lost to the world. Day after day He looks for some signs of their return, but they only get deeper and deeper into the world. At Christmas, He looks for some life some kind of birthday card. But nothing, it's stone cold. Father's day, nothing, not even a prayer, just dead silence, it's a life of a child clings more and more to the world's way of celebrating holidays. I know what it feels like, and I think all of you as parents who have children in the world not the least bit interested in God. I know what it feels like. So in my own children, it's just like this, not a sign of love or desire to have a relationship. I raised them to be Godly. I made mistakes like all of us do, even some bad mistakes which I beat myself for every time I think of them. Until finally the Lord has come to me and told me, "it's not you that's the problem, they're in love with the world and the way the world does things and for that reason they're alienated from you". But I keep praying and hoping for their return, I try not to connect with that profound well of grief in my heart for these poor children. I try to avoid it all cost and just let it go, but I can't totally get rid of it. It's a deep wound that will never heal until my children come back to God and I'm grateful that I taught them the most important thing they needed to know about God in life and that was the thing that no one else would teach what to do: to pray, to trust God, to love Him and live a pure Godly life and in that profound grief I understand how the Father feels. He tenderly endowed and gifted each of us for our own journey in life. We're coming from His very own substance. He dotes over us just like any other parent would. He finds profound joy by gazing upon our precious little faces and watching us giggle and play joyfully while we discover the world He created for us. His hopes are so high for His children, but ultimately the time comes when he has to let go and let them fly to the destination of their own choosing. Still not for one moment does He take His watchful eyes off of them, not for one moment is He distracted away from the complete awareness of them and every circumstance they get themselves into. Know He's there when they make those deadly choices, He's there when they ignore their conscience, and get into bed with someone who is bound to break their hearts, He's there when they overdose on drugs and hang between life and death, He's there when when they wait and choose the mate that He prepared for them and celebrate with them with the births of their babies. With their hard-won accomplishments, He shares in even the tiniest details of their lives, bumps and bruises, the pains of old age, smiles exchanged during a walk in the woods and beautiful autumn leaves fluttering down in the winds they take joy in, and spring flowers pressing up from the forest floor. From the littlest to greatest events, He's with us dreaming, dreaming His dreams for us, hoping His hopes for us, arranging details to help us choose the right thing. I imagine even if it were possible, hold His breath when we are about to make a decision, but of course He already knows where that decision will take us.
So to bring this around to full circle, here we are watching the slaughter of men, women, children; some guilty, some innocent, some dying as martyrs for Christ, some dying having never known Christ and going to eternal perdition where Father God, Abba, will never see them happy and thriving again. Oh, how terrible for Him. It's as if we lost a child who we knew we'd never see again, here or in the afterlife. The sweet innocent memories of his childhood lingering in photo albums and memories, but that one is no more. He's lost forever in eternal suffering. This is a tragedy that we're witnessing in Abba's grieving heart right now. The other tragedy just like Rachel mourned for her children for they were no more. Yet even Rachel had a hope of seeing them again in the life hereafter. So may go against the grain of your humanity to pray for Jihadists who've been raise with only one reality and these victims of senseless brutality. Father God Abba needs prayer for them and their family. He needs prayers so He can turn the tide and convert these thoroughly these indoctrinated souls before they're lost forever.
Let's have pity and pray for them. It goes against the grain to pray for enemies and those who are so brutal and senseless murdering. Just so brutal, it goes against the grain of our flesh, but we have to pray for them because these are souls that God created. He grieves deeply over what they're doing and how they'll be lost for eternity.
Just in closing, I want to remind you of a couple scriptures:
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. And if you love those who love, what credit is that to you. Even sinners love those who love them, and if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you. Even sinners do that, so love your enemies. Do good to them then your reward will be great and you'll be children of the most high because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.
The Lord bless you all family, Just remember to lift them all up in prayer.
Here I am to Worship
