334- The Problem Is Deep in me

Steve noticed that the clock of the church was 15 minutes ahead of time. He fixed it but the next day it returned back. He then noticed that at times it was ahead, at times behind and every time he would fix it.

One day he brought in a big sign and put it above the clock and he wrote,

“Don't blame my hands, the problem is deep within me.”

He tried to fix the clock through its hands but it needed someone that understands the mechanism of clocks, to fix it from the inside.

Often our hands, legs or thoughts lead us to do wrong and we try to cure them from the outside. We need God's abundant grace to enter our insides to cure us from within.

Truly, sin hides deep down in our soul but our Christ can enter into our deepest depths to cleanse us.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: التعب عميق في داخلي.

He Turns My Lamentation into Joy

I confess to You my Lord:

How often I praise You with my tongue?

Yet my heart is heavy.

Open my mouth to confess Your Love.

And turn my life into a song of praise.

Be my strength and my song,

So that I may enter into heaven.

 How often I gave offerings?

But neglected to give myself a sacrifice and burnt offering of love.

I defiled my inner Jerusalem.

I defiled Your altar within me.

Help me repent, so that I would neither be as Shiloh that was ruined,

Nor like the Temple that was destroyed and burnt.

 I offer lamentations for my broken soul,

But with Your Holy Spirit You turn my lamentations into joy.

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