Saturday, March 13, 2010

Lent 2010, Day 22

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. Proverbs 21:2
Since the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves, verses similar to this one appear 5 or 6 times in the Bible as warnings against depending on ourselves and our own ideas too much. Both we and our worst enemies believe that we/they are doing "the right thing." But, when conflicts arise, we each have to admit to mistakes.

God gave us the Ten Commandments as ultimate tests of right and wrong. In lesser arenas of human affairs, we have to depend on asking for Divine guidance to make wise decisions. We still fool ourselves sometimes, but as we stumble, fall, repent, and try again, we gradually grow closer to God's ideal. That's because God wants to have a close relationship with us; He really does not want to be a mere observer. Lent encourages us to develop our relationship with The Man Upstairs as we pray, fast, and give alms.

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