Gospel light

 Hyssop

"Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart." (1 Corinthians 4:5)

It is fascinating to ponder how even the most worldly media serve to reveal the truth of the gospel. Consider three stories from today's news about how YouTube and social networking sites reiterate the truth that Christ's light reveals things hidden in darkness and discloses their true purposes.

The first is a heartfelt plea by the mayor of a ravaged Japanese coastal town for help. He had never used YouTube but in desperation turned to this medium as a way of broadcasting the town's need for essential supplies which had so far been unavailable. The response to the video, with nearly 250,000 views, has been overwhelming.

At the other extreme is the common example of users of Facebook and MySpace who carelessly reveal information that is harmful or hurtful to others.These serve as a welcome reminder that God always knows and sees the true nature of our hearts, and try as we might, that true nature will eventually be revealed one way or another - and we will suffer the consequences.

Far better it is for us to engage ourselves not in concealing those purposes but to use all that effort to purify our hearts: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51:7)

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