And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, "Thus says the LORD God of your father David: 'Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah… --- 2 Chronicles 21:12
I confess – I’m guilty – I’ve done it so many times in the past and continue to do it – it seems that there is no changing nor stopping of the practice. Those knowing me rather well would conclude that there is no hope – Clayt is suffering from an addiction from which he will never recover!
And what is this malady that is a “thorn in my side?” It is the habit of writing letters! I think I inherited it from my mother. She wrote letters all during her lifetime, including many to my wife and me when we were away from home. She had quite a list of military people to whom she wrote regularly during the years of WW II. One of my dad’s cousins was wounded twice in Sicily and my mother got shelf paper which was about 7 feet long, wrote on both sides of it and sent it overseas to cousin Don McElravy. He later sent a picture back with the letter draped around his neck and down the front of his chest to about his belt line.
I have written letters over the years to newspaper editors, church leaders, some heads of state in other nations, presidents, vice presidents, congressional people, TV media people and many friends. One newspaper, the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, no longer will publish my letters because of a past skirmish I had with persons there over an issue. But the ones they wouldn’t publish are at my web site anyway and are available for public viewing! In a sense, I am still having the last laugh since they have no control over my turf at Circuit Rider's Range!
The practice of writing letters will continue so long as God gives me breath, strength in my hands to type and/or write with a pen, and ability to think and reason a bit. Now, as it has been for some time, a letter goes out regularly to President Obama. You can see it at Letter to President Obama
This is an appeal to get involved in this kind of “witness” if you haven’t already been doing so. There will be the temptation to say it is a waste of time and expense and it won’t do any good. Is it better to stand before God and say, “I tried to do everything I could possibly do.” OR to have to admit that you could have done more but didn’t because you didn’t think it really mattered and it "wouldn't do any good" anyhow?
At the beginning is a reference from 2 Chronicles 21 which speaks of a letter from Elijah the prophet to a king. It doesn’t have much good news in it – in fact, it was a harsh rebuke because the king was way out of line in his lifestyle and practices. What if Elijah would have reasoned, “No use writing to the king – it won’t do any good!” and just did whatever it was he did in the course of a day? And of course there was the ultimate accounting he would have to give to the God Who had called him to bear witness to God's truth in very chaotic times. I’ll let you draw your own conclusion on that.
So get pen in hand or bring up that word processing program – a piece of paper – an envelope, and start writing!
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. --- Jude 1:3
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