A small boy filled with all kinds of playful ideas anxiously awaited his father's return from work. An extra-long day at the office, however, had taken its toll, and his father longed for a few minutes of relaxation. Over and over again the boy tugged at his dad's leg with yet another suggestion of something they might do together. Well, finally in total frustration the father ripped from a magazine a picture of the world and tore it into a hundred pieces. "Here," he said handing the child a roll of scotch tape, "go and put the world back together." Ah, peace at last, or so he thought. But, in just a few minutes, he was interrupted again, there before him stood his son-and in hands was a crudely fashioned picture of the world. "Son, that's incredible. How did you do it?" I’ll give you the boy’s answer in a minute.
For the majority of us, this world, our country, our state, our city and for many, themselves their lives have seem to have torn into pieces. Every where one looks there are troubles which we often feel incapable of correcting, This same problem existed in the days our Lord was training His disciples. John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble.” Jesus knew what was in man’s heart and with compassion added “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Every problem this world, our country, our state, our cities and even those in our lives, all can find their roots in the un-regenerated hearts of man. Un-regenerated hearts are the fields of the enemy that he harvests crop after crop of misery and sorrow for the world to feed upon.
In 1 Kings 15:3 we read, (referring to Ahab), “He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God” and again in 2 Chronicles 12:14 Ezra (it’s traditionally believed he wrote both 1 & 2 Chronicles) wrote about King Rehoboam, “He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.” The problem of “un-regenerated hearts goes back a long way and we can follow it all the way back to the story of Cain and Abel if we want to.
Let me give you the answer the young boy gave his father. "It was easy," said the boy, "you see on the other side of the picture of the world was the picture of a man, and as soon as I got man straightened out the world came together." Jesus said “out of the mouths of babes”.
If we want to see our world begin to straighten out, we need to do two things. First make sure we (each of us) has that re-generated heart by having the proper relationship with Jesus and then help lead as many as we can into that same saving relationship. Get man fixed and the world will be okay.
I fully believe however, and God’s Word backs this up), that our Lord is going to return before we will ever be able to accomplish this. But Jesus said that we need to try our best to, and I like this saying, “Take as many to Heaven with us as we can.”
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