The halfbaked Bard

Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the lord, God gave him success. 2Chron:26:5 Accountability, mentorship, reality check. Is there someone who can openly call you up and say, what you did is wrong? Like Nathan for David. Like Zechariah for Uzziah. Like Jehoiada for Joash. Unless there is that somebody who has the freedom to correct you. It can be your spouses. It can be your parents. It can be your spiritual mentors. It can be your bible study group - your contemporaries. But there has to be. Don't let yourself loose. And when these corrections and admonitions come, am i receptive. Have i hardened my heart so much so that I don't want to receive. The callousness is so hard that it won't go in.

Judah owns up the second time. He was the one who suggested to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. He might have seen the grief of his father. He personally has suffered loss of his two sons in between, Er and Onan. He might have regretted taking that choice.  But now he has got a second chance. Others kept quiet. But Judah speaks up. He owns up to his father regarding his brother Benjamin.  "You may hold me responsible if I don't bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever." Gen 43/9 Similarly he also speaks up before the prime minister of Egypt (who curiously is very inquisitive of their family) - "So please my Lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy and let the boy return with his brothers." Gen 44/33 This is how you learn from your mistakes. Life gives you a second chance, own up for your mistakes and do the right thing the next time. Do not keep doing the wrong things. If the Holy Spirit prompts you, just do it immediately...