Guilty......or Not Guilty

I was given a citation for failure to control with my recent snow escapade. Unfortunately, the Goshen Township Police misled me and told me that I had to be cited in order for my insurance to cover any damage to my car. I then had to appear in court where the judge informed me I had been misled and did not need to be cited. As a result, she reduced the fine to $5.00.

This was my first court room appearance, and it proved to be quite interesting. When things happen in my life, I always try to get the message that God is trying to send me. I believe that everything happens to us for a reason. As I was sitting in the audience waiting for the judge to arrive, I observed the behavior of those around me. Most of the 60+ people present were men. I heard many of them saying negative things about the judge, the justice system, and how they would handle the judgment given them. Most of them were leaving the impression with the people around them that they didn't have much fear of the judge or anything she had to say. There was a lot of "tough guy" syndrome in the air. I sat there talking with God and asking that things would go according to His will. I also was asking Him to show me the reason for all of this. I watched as the judge called each of those men by name. I watched them walk forward to stand before her. I listened as she read them the charges that had placed them there. Then I heard her ask each of them how they were pleading......guilty or not guilty. Funny...... none of them seemed to be disrespecting her while they were standing before her. None of them were saying the things that they had said earlier they were going to. None of them were arguing with her. But here's the clincher..... all of them accepted the sentence that she brought down on them whether they liked it or not. Some were taken to jail.....some were given hefty fines.....some were send to rehabilitative programs. It wasn't until the next morning that it dawned on me what had happened the afternoon before.

Many, if not most of our society, feel that life can be lived the way they choose whether it complies with God's laws or not. We feel that we can beat the "spiritual justice system." Many will even speak of God as if He has no real authority, they have nothing to fear from Him, and his future judgment on them really doesn't matter. Many have no fear of the end of their life and say they do not fear God's judgment. But.......like those in court yesterday.........their words and actions are meaningless.....because....."Therefore God also has highly exalted Him [Jesus Christ] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of THOSE ON EARTH, and of those under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" --Philippians 2:10-11........whether they like it or not.