Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

Opening up Biblegateway and reading the verse of the day, here quoted, my first reaction was “I don’t want your pity, I want your love.”

That reaction says nothing about God but says much about me. God can pity without showing pity. I on the other hand have not learned to separate the two. I was right in my assessment of God’s action, to show love. I was wrong in my reaction.

How many times do we react to the Word of God from the viewpoint of our human experience? If we have it so right, why is our first reactions so often wrong? Knee jerk reactions are automatic and not thought out. So often we react rather than act.

Character building is a long tedious process. Our old nature and tendencies have to be replaced where resistance to change is the natural condition. All I have to do is look at my own reactions to see where improvement is needed. All that is well and good but at the same time I must try and undo any harm that might have come about because of it.

I am not just in relationship with my Lord and Savior, I am in relationship with humanity also. I am closer to those who are in the body of Christ, but my neighbor is my neighbor saved or not. It isn’t easy to swallow your pride and say, “I am sorry. I was wrong.” Things will never get any better and you will not build better character without pushing pride aside.

I have said forgive me and been told “I don’t know if I have that much forgiveness in me.” That may be the case but I did my part, I did as the Lord asked. My forgiveness comes from the Lord, I cannot make others forgive, but I should not dwell in sorrow for the lack of it. I can only pray that they might find peace in forgiveness.

Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

The first time I read this I must admit I was very perplexed. God hold’s my thoughts against me? I haven’t done anything. Is my thinking sin? Man am I ever in trouble!

Then I read it again, and again, just to be sure. You looked. Looking on a woman with lust in your heart is voyeurism. This verse went beyond thought, it took the next step towards real damage. This is lust of the eye.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Let me ask you this however, what preceded looking with lust in your heart? Thoughts. Yes, thoughts precede action. Now for the more pointed question? Where did the lust come from that led to thoughts of the woman?

Yes. It came from our human nature. Lust is prone to act if it has already been exercised. We do not teach chastity nearly enough to our young men. Even when we do we have a tendency to emphasize respect for women over respect for self. In truth the curiosity of lust is nowhere near as dangerous as the memory of lust. The enemy will use those moments of lost virginity to entice young men to repeat the sin. In that lays the surmounting danger.

Titus 2:6-7 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.