The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank
you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like
this tax collector.
When the full impact of the potato blight struck Ireland,
the general public opinion in Britain was that the Irish brought this disaster
upon themselves. Even though Ireland was, by this time, officially part of the
United Kingdom, they certainly were not being treated as equals.
There was only one crop that completely failed in
Ireland, and that was the one crop they were allowed to keep for themselves:
Potatoes. All other crops flourished, and these would have been more than
enough to feed the Irish had it not all gone to Great Britain. In 1847, 500,000
Irish, young and old alike, died of starvation. Cholera, dysentery, high deadly
fevers, scurvy and typhus rampaged through the Irish population, killing so
many people that it wasn't even possible to keep proper records of all the
deaths, and there weren't even enough coffins for the burials. As a result,
reusable drop coffins became the norm. These contained a trap door at the
bottom. They were used to drop a body in its grave, then they were returned to
pick up another body!
Meanwhile, 4,000 ships loaded with 17,000,000 pounds of
Ireland-produced foods, 10,000 heads of cattle and 4,000 horses and ponies
headed for Great Britain and the British enjoyed fine meal and good health.
Such an attitude can be seen in certain denominations and
churches. "Praise God that I am nothing like the scum of the earth. I hold
the truth! Anything else does not matter!" They are proud of having
"the" truth, but unfortunately, their "truth" consists of
doctrine. Even though they profess to follow Jesus, their doctrine is put above
all else, and these children of God don't even realize that only Jesus can
claim to be Truth: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, NIV)
What happens when such superiority rampages through a
church? It gives the congregation a false sense of security, while many of
their members starve for spiritual food and are left wanting.
Are you spiritually hungry? Come directly to Jesus. Only
He can truly feed you: "He has filled the hungry with good things but has
sent the rich away empty." (Luke 1:53, NIV) After all, it's not about us,
but about Jesus!
Dear Lord, help our focus be on You and not the church we
go to. Thank You that You are the truth and that You can feed us spiritually. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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