Sampark February 2011: Averse to Understand

A social worker was at pains to make a drunkard understand the bad consequences of his addiction. He said, “If two buckets were to be put in front of an ass, one containing water and the other containing alcohol, the ass will never drink the alcohol; it will only drink the water. Do you understand what I am telling you?” The drunkard replied, “Yes sir, I understand.” The social worker asked, “What have you understood?” The drunkard replied, “All of what you have told me – asses don’t drink alcohol!” The disappointed social worker struck his head with his hand. No one can make an unwilling person understand anything?

Now try and understand this – this New Year with its set of 12 months is with us. In the store house of our lives, it is like 12 packed bundles. These 12 months contain 52 weeks, i.e. Eight thousand Seven hundred and Sixty hours, i.e. Five lakh Twenty Five thousand Six hundred minutes, i.e. Three Crore Fifteen lakh Thirty Six thousand seconds – all for you. You and I were not worthy of this wonderful gift, yet it has been granted to us. We can utilize this time only in tranches of 24 hours at a time. It is up to you how you use this time – worthily or unworthily. None of us have the ability or power to bring back even a single moment of the time that has passed away.

Did you know that in the time you take a single breath, 10 people have taken their last breath and departed forever from this world? This year is a gift to you. The Lord does not differentiate between persons; whether you are wealthy or poor, weak or strong, a failure or victorious, whatever be your religion or caste – time once lost can never be returned, it is lost forever. You can only look ahead from here.

Come; let us begin this year with renewed freshness. It is now time to rectify every mistake of the past.

To change punishment to forgiveness,

To change hatred into love,

To change curse into blessing,

Now is the time.

Yes! This is the opportunity to forgive and to receive forgiveness. If you miss out now, then you will miss out on many things. Just look within yourself – how much hatred, how much bitterness is present for how many and for how long? Now is the time and opportunity to bury all that bitterness forever.

God’s Word exhorts, “go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother” (Matt. 5:24) – do you have the courage to do so, or, will you again in your cowardice ignore God’s voice and trample under your feet the blessings of this New Year? Do you follow, or are you loathe to understanding? If you remain obstinate, then no one can help you in anyway.

Lest some of us may depart forever, God’s Word also cautions us, “Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 3:15).

We have brought God’s message for you on this piece of paper; it is for you to accept or to reject it.

I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments – Psalms 119:60