The Poor Publican

Do you feel rejected by God or too sinful to come before Him? I have felt that way when my pride didn't get in the way. I call pride a dreadful disease and I believe it is because it can destroy us and others as well. People despise the alcoholic and it is considered that they will naturally be lost while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. but these are sins that God hates. Read Proverbs 6;16, it doesn't state it just this way but I think you can see what I am saying, what God is trying to tell us.

 Luke 18:10-14 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted." The Poor Publican was the humble one and went to his house justified while the Pharisee was praying with himself, did you notice that? God does not hear a prideful prayer but when we come to Him in humility, feeling our need He always hears and answers. I wonder if sometimes we shouldn't pray the tax collector's prayer, 'God be merciful to me a sinner' as well as praying David's prayer of repentance. It is good for us to humble ourselves before God and go away justified, but we must mean it, it must come from a heart that has seen what his sins have done to Jesus and in repentance or sorrow for sin enough to turn away from it because of what our sins have done to Jesus. I, personally love the tax collector's prayer and David's prayer of repentance and have prayed both of them many times in my great need of Christ in my life. You can do the same, what peace it brings to our hearts and in humility brings joy, exceeding joy because of what Christ has done for us and we have been set free from our sinful natures. I personally can't think of a better way to live, can you? Grandma Joan