From early childhood I have trodden alone, though I had parents, siblings and just a few friends, I learned early on that man cannot be trusted. Man is full of doubt and darkness, though he was created a being of light, in the image of God. The fall of Adam was the extinguishing of the light of life that was within him, and with that came death. He no longer resembled his Father except in superficial ways. He became as an animal, subject to the earthly sufferings and bondages of a materialistic existence, driven by impulses and lusts, the survival instinct, the desire to control all that surrounds him in a vain attempt to regain some sense of security and even eternal life, but alas, all is in vain. As an animal he lives and as an animal he dies. Though the Lord well knew of this outcome, it was not of His doing, it was ours. Thus is the mystery of iniquity.
Yet, God had a perfect plan, already set in motion before time itself, knowing fully what each and every soul would have deep in its core, knowing how to draw that out into the open in order that each soul may come to recognise his own need of salvation and repent of those things so that he may be healed. Sadly, the power of self-righteous pride is too great for many to resist and overcome for they value themselves and their own earthly lives above all others and all else, and such souls go to perdition. What will be left but a remnant:
Matthew 7:14 ASV "For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it."
Oh Father, eternal and glorious God, have mercy on us, for we are sinners and in need of Your forgiveness. You test us and we fail, again and again we fail, and only by the indwelling of Your Spirit do we ever hope to pass the tests before us, to overcome the stumbling blocks that would otherwise cause us to fail again, to overcome the temptations of animal lusts, greed, hunger, fear, anger, all those things which grow unrestrained within the fallen man. It is only by the sacrifice of Your only begotten Son, who is the firstborn of the dead, Yeshua the Messiah, the righteous king, that we have any chance at finding true life, for by the shedding of His untainted blood our sins were paid for in full, including all inherited evil all the way back to the sin of Adam, for the life is in the blood. Only by your mercy and perfect justice, Ever Living God, is there any hope at all.
Forgive me all my sins, for I am a sinner in need of salvation and I sin even without knowing what I am doing. For each soul who reads what I write here, I ask the forgiveness of their sins also, and bring us all into eternal life in your kingdom. Strengthen our faith as we walk through these darkest of days, that we may not love our lives so much even unto death, that the praise of Your Name, Holy and Glorious Ever Living God, never depart from our lips. Amen.
