DINAH

           

courtesy free clip art

The story of Dinah is both true to life and hurtful. She had been born into a church going family, and had suckled while the preaching was going on.

She wasn't the oldest child in the family but turned out to be the headstrong one of them. She learned scriptures before she could read and she knew all of the main Bible stories. At an early age she went forward during an altar call at her mother's insistence but her conversion was quite questionable.

Everyone gave her the benefit of a doubt but as she got older some of the ladies didn't like the way she dressed.  Her skirts were way to short and her sweaters were much too tight, revealing evidence of her development.

Her mother gave up trying to correct her, and committed it to prayer.  From time to time one of the church ladies would take her aside, and encourage her to be more modest, and quote a scripture as the reason for their concern.

The dad was of no help for he had given up on her at the age of four and left it up to her mother. Diane acted quite differently while in the church than she did on the outside.
 

courtesy free clip art

She found the boys who were unsaved so much more stimulating than those in church who had restraints put on them by the scriptures. The church boys would hardly kiss her while the others were constantly telling how much they desired her.  She felt that she had a power over them and greatly relished it.

The girls she spent time with at school, would tell her about their rendezvous, and how great it was to give in.

She had almost quit going to church for now they all began to look like hypocrites even though she had no reason to think that.  On occasion there would be a news article where some supposed Christian was caught in sin, and she used that to convince herself that they were worse than the people she associated with.  

After a while she stopped going to church altogether and was ready to be free from all biblical restraints.  

With the encouragement from the new friends she had garnered to herself when the boys wanted more she gave in and became known as the new crazy loose and easy.

What followed was atypical; drugs, drunkenness, elicited sex, pregnancies and abortions.

courtesy free clip art

The news of her downfall became a topic of discussion back at the church. The pastor overheard one of the ladies say, “I knew she was no good and would end up like this.”  

As the Pastor came into the room and said; if I had any idea that this would have happened to her I would have been on my knees day and night praying for her.  

A hush came over the ladies group because none of them had lifted her up before GOD in prayer, but rather had condemned her for what they heard she had done.  

 

Come Sunday the pastor chose his sermon text from Luke 15:3-7 Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The pastor said when you have done all you can do and one still leaves the fold what then?  Do you follow them with a forgiving spirit according to the scripture?

Is it time to applaud the enemy for his victory? No, NO, No, we have weapons provided for this kind of warfare and we start by having a never give up attitude, and resist the enemy and blanket the foolish sheep with prevailing prayer until they like the prodigal son who came to himself and returned home.

We lose too many victories by giving up instead of persevering. The church was silent, the pastor sat down. It was now up to each one to either take the message to heart or continue to be unprofitable servants.

Some within the silent moment thought, “Are there those who I have given up on?”

This post is Linked with Charlotte’s Spiritual Sundays

Also you can view it on Tell me a Story  http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/