Did Katy?

It has finally cooled off enough in this part of the country so that we can open our windows at night to get some fresh air. I grew up in a home in a part of the country where it cooled off at night, and the thermostat was turned down at night. I prefer sleeping in a cool room. But with the cost of energy so high, it is prohibitively expensive to set the air conditioner for 65 or lower at night here in the south. So the cooler weather is welcome. The past few nights I've had my bedroom windows wide open, much to my enjoyment.

Late summer and early fall is also the time for katydids, a form of tree-dwelling grasshopper. So, with lots of trees around the house, I could hear them calling quite clearly last night through my open window. If you live in a part of the country that doesn't have katydids, or have never heard them, believe me when I tell you that a handful of them outside your bedroom window at night can keep you awake with their three-syllable call: "KATYDID, KATYDID, KATYDID."

As I listened to them last night, I suddenly became aware that one of the several cricket species in this area was answering with its two-syllable call: "GUILTY!, GUILTY!, GUILTY!" And there I lay, listening to a chorus of "KATY DID, GUILTY!; KATY DID, GUILTY!; KATY DID, GUILTY!" Occasionally, just to be contrary, one would add some doubt to the chorus by slipping in a four-syllable "KATY DIDN'T!" I wondered what Katy could have done to get a whole chorus of accusers.

Have you ever had a chorus of accusers? Sometimes, only one accuser, if he or she keeps it up long enough, can become like a chorus in the mind. A person who is continually accused, whether guilty or not, is likely to become somewhat depressed by the sound of "HE DID IT, GUILTY!" or "SHE DID IT, GUILTY!" Lord, keep me from becoming part of the accusing chorus.

You know, the Scriptures point out that, spiritually, we're all guilty. None of us come close to the glory of God. There is not one of us righteous on our own; as Paul points out, "No, not one!" I need to take up the refrain of the lost sheep: "HERE I AM, FIND ME; HERE I AM, FIND ME." That is a call that will never go unanswered by the Great Shepherd. Call on His name, and you shall be saved. That is all Peter had time to do as he began to slip beneath the waves: "Lord, Save me!"

So when you or I hear a chorus of accusers, whether they be human or imps of Satan (the Great Accuser of the bretheren), they need not depress us or cause us fear. The Gentle Shepherd has His arms around us. All is well.

In the big picture, ignore the accusers. They are but short-lived insects. If we cling to Christ, you and I can be eternal-lived!

Have a great day. By the way, don't forget to close the windows before you leave for work!

Dr. G