Devotionals for those hard questions

Living in a prejudice world

I really do not like touching this subject whatsoever. But I also would not want anyone to come to have the perception that I did. Growing up in a half-prejudiced state, even part of your life... you begin to question yourself. Is there something wrong with my skin color? Well with careful reflection I can tell you I have come to find that there is not, these things support that theory.

We are all wonderfully, fearfully made Psalm 139:14 states just this. We were all made by God in the womb. He made us during his wonderful work. We would not dare look at a sunset and say, oh well I would of done it this way... no, it is too beautiful, too awe filled for us to do that. So, why would we look at another part of God's creation and dare to question it?There is good and bad in every race One thing that I heard a lot from teachers, friends parents and a lot of other adults that had an influence is the statistics of African Americans in prisons and jails. As staggering as this number is, this still remains true. There are good doctors, lawyers, judges, politically leaders, teachers, and every other profession that are African American. So, though the statistics are high it is ultimately a choice for everyone, and I do dare to say that not one ethnic group has all good, nor all bad in it. Everyone has the same emotions, risk of health problems, risk of temptations, etc. While everyone's health problems, emotions, and temptations to vary, we all have the same risk and chance at whatever someone else's happens to be. We all have times of feeling happy, mad, frustrated, mournful, regretful, joyous, rejoiceful, and thankful. No matter what color our skin is we can get all illnesses from the minor cold to cancer. Also, no matter how hard it is to believe we all still stand a chance of breaking the same laws, and commands of God, as the bible says in Romans 3:10b-11 "no one is righteous, no not one. no one understands, no one seeks for God." Until we start that seeking for God, after Jesus has called us... we will never be free from sin.We all have the same chance at a wonderfully eternity The thing that matters the most to me personally, is that we all have a chance at the forgiveness that comes from the shed blood of the perfect lamb. While growing up, I attended predominately Caucasian/white churches. It wasn't until I was in my later teen years that I walked in to a predominately African American/black church. For the first time, during one of the sermons that Pastor McGee was giving, I felt that perhaps what he was saying went for Everyone... regardless of race. It led to a long soul search, discussion with the pastor, and really some intimate time with the Lord. For once, I knew that God accepted me how he made me. It may sound silly but perhaps it is due to being so young, or no one really taking the time to invest in my knowledge of God before that point, or a variety of reasons... However, I finally felt God had not made a mistake. Since, I have attended many churches, and yes most of these have also been predominately Caucasian, however the love that filled most of them (regardless of ethnicity) has kept this realization of God's perfectness in check.God does not make mistakes, so no individual is a mistake, nor is any race. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" declares the Lord- this verse is Isaiah 55:8, in verse 9 the Bible goes on to say: "As the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." If God, who made living thing (which is the only reason that thoughts outside of God's can exist), states that his thoughts are not ours, and his thoughts are better than ours and also says "God saw all that he had made and it was very good." in Genesis 1:31... then how can we judge God's creation based on looks (whether it be judging ourselves, as in my case, or others?) To do this assumes that God did not know what he was doing. Sounds harsh, right? But, seriously I have never meet one person who made an honest mistake, and knew what they were doing.... it would not be called a mistake if they did. So because we serve an all-knowing God, the living God... no race, nor anything else that we are born with/as naturally is a mistake.

In summary if you have been questioning yourself, or even someone else due to how God made them remember that they could be a good person, or a bad person regardless or race but regardless of this, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21, God loved them (as he did us all) so much that he sent is son who knew no sin to die for their sins (and everyone else's) so that we all (including them) may have a chance at salvation and an eternity with Jesus one day.