OnLine Bible Class

(O.B.C.)

Ladies Daily

Devotional

EXTRA

The Verdict is In

By Sandy Ditoro

As a group we have prayed together over the outcome of the Winkler trial. One prayer that was on our hearts was that the church not be hurt through negative publicity from the news media as a result of this trial. The media attention that was given to it the past two weeks was a lot less than one would have expected. For this we should thank God. We need to continue pray that what is best for the future of their children will be granted by the courts.
 

Mary alleged many accusations against Matthew and we may never know the truth concerning them until Judgment Day. Matthew is not here to defend himself and if there were bruises on her body from abuse, we will never see the proof. As a parent, I try to put myself in both situations. If someone had accused my son of being addicted to pornography, I believe that is one thing that could be proved or disproved. If I doubted that such a claim was true I would have to demand that proof be made in the chance it was not true, for the purpose of clearing my son's name at least on that one matter. If it were found to be untrue then that would cast doubts on her credibility in other areas. If it were true, I would be deeply hurt but I would tell others to consider long and hard what has happened to the family and the shame brought on the church because of this awful addiction. Then I would urge all men to flee from this evil with all their might, and get help if they are addicted. Finally, I would pray that the price paid by all involved would help others to be motivated to overcome this terrible sin.

My thanks to Beverly Rainwater for sharing with me her thoughts on the verdict. I trust you might find them helpful too:

By Beverly Rainwater

Without having to mention names, places, where or what, I think all of us will know what this email is talking about. I offer it as a means of putting to rest the horrific tragedy we have all been a part of, if for no other reason than it touched our loving body the church, our Lord, our thoughts and our hearts. I will try to communicate what is in my heart more than just my mind, in a way that will cause us all to stop and think; to thank God for the fact that we did not personally have to face this kind of situation, and then to pray for the healing hand of God on all those whose lives it did most definitely literally touch. Hopefully, what I say will carry enough love and concern for all mentioned that it will be taken as it is meant, a means to put an end to the events of today and the past week and a beginning of a new tomorrow.

I suppose no one will ever know for sure if what was brought out in court this past week was truth and nothing but the truth; however, I have to say I can see where she may have felt she was trapped with no where to run to, not that she should have resorted to killing to resolve the matter. I also am not sure whether or not I believe it was an accident or intentional but that is moot at this point. What I do know is that, whether intentional or accidental, a man is still dead and can no longer ask for forgiveness if he needed to or see his children grow up or maybe ask forgiveness of his wife if it was needed. He can neither be there to aid his parents in their autumn years nor help anyone in any way ever again. I know that a woman has now destroyed her life and the lives of her children. Those children now have no father and a mother who will always be known as the preacher's wife who killed her husband and they will be separated because of the circumstances. That is not something children should have to grow up with. My heart breaks for all of them that are involved because I know that it can't have been easy to live such a dysfunctional life, if what was heard can be believed.

I know from having tried to be there for and to comfort and console, when lives were torn apart because of pornography in many forms. What it did to people's lives, their emotions, their self esteem is not even imaginable to most of us. The emotional damage it does is devastating beyond anything that can be described. I can't imagine what both families must be going through having to deal with things that have been said that were alleged to have been done whether true or not. It's hard to picture having to deal with the fact that your son is gone, shot in the back while he slept by someone you have loved, cared about, taken into your family and who is the mother of your grandchildren. I can't conceive what must be going through their minds even now after all is officially said and done except for the sentencing. Credit must be given to the family for standing together and facing head-on what they had to. I was impressed with the statement given to the press - after the verdict had been handed down - by the father of the victim, his family standing with him while he made it. One saw no hatred, no condemning, no ranting and raving. What was seen was a father giving credit where credit was due by saying that they thanked the jury and thanked God for being "our rock and our shield" during the trial. Even the newscasters were saying how much class that statement showed. For that I am thankful because in the end God and His infinite love and care was held high and the goodness that comes from being dedicated Christians did shine through. That was needed, in my humble opinion, so that the church did not end up the culprit in all of this. The father of the slain man made it plain that God was and is their Comforter and their Shield. All I can say to that is, "amen"! We are nothing without God!

I can only hope and pray that, if what was brought out in court is true, somehow the victim had time to make it right with God before he left this world. I also hope and pray that the convicted woman can do the same, make it right with God by asking forgiveness and living for Him the rest of her life. Along with that will be the need for her to ask forgiveness of those she has wronged by taking this life away from them whether it was accidental or not. My prayer for the children is that they will be surrounded by loving, caring, kind and compassionate family and friends who will help them as they struggle to understand all that they must, whether it is sooner or later in their lives.

For us, I pray that we will continue to keep this family and all of the Lord's body in our prayers. I pray that each of us will be able to put all of this to rest, whether here in the computer world or in our own tangible corners of the world when approached about it, by simply saying that all involved are in our prayers and that we pray that God will lend His healing hand to all the victims, for there truly is more than one victim in this story.

May God lift us up and teach us to fly on wings as eagles.

All Scripture is taken from the NKJ Version.  Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson,Inc.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.