Tom And Jerry

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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Job 33:23-25a – Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, to be gracious to him and say, "Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him" — then his flesh is renewed. (NIV)

Do you remember the old Tom and Jerry cartoons? Long before they were deemed politically incorrect because of the comic violence in them, I used to love watching them every night on television. They made me really laugh, but I especially liked the cartoons when Tom, the cat, or Jerry, the mouse, struggled with temptation. When this occurred, there would usually be a small angel, with a halo, on the right shoulder and a miniature, red-faced devil on the left side of the cartooned characters. It was funny to watch, and usually ended with Tom or Jerry giving in to temptation.

It would be handy to be able to see such angels and devils on each of our shoulders. I guess they would keep us away from temptation. Some Muslims believe in this, and live their lives in the fear that the divine scales of justice will lean against them on account of having succumbed to the devil of temptation too many times. Sadly, that's why some individuals strap explosives to themselves and commit suicidal murder, wrongly believing that their sins are wiped out in the process of killing innocent people.

As Christians, we depend upon Christ to mediate on our behalf. He intercedes for us, asking God to forgive our sins and restore us to His favour. That's infinitely much better than having an angel on each shoulder, or blowing yourself up. This is why our faith is missionary — the good news of Christ's forgiveness is what every person in this world needs, no matter what their faith system is. Christ alone has the power and authority to forgive sin, and Lord knows, we all are in great need of a champion and Saviour.

When we are feeling guilty about something in our past, or perhaps struggling against temptation, we need to allow Christ to come into our hearts to influence our lives. Christ has a lot more peace, love, and satisfaction to offer us than we are presently experiencing. As we give Him the opportunity, He will help each of us to turn our lives around, putting each one who is willing on the true path to everlasting love and eternal life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we struggle with temptation every single day of our lives. We say and do things that we later regret. We make stupid mistakes and disappoint other people. Forgive our foolish ways, and enable us to pull down the barriers of pride that keep getting in the way of allowing us to give our hearts and lives freely to You. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

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