Someone once said to Abe Lincoln, ”I hope the Lord is on our side.” Lincoln replied, ”The Lord is always on the side of right. My constant anxiety and prayer is that I be on the Lord’s side.”

Isn’t it interesting how some act as if the Lord is always on their side and if we oppose them that we are, in fact, opposing God. Would that we could be as humble as was Abe Lincoln in recognizing the truth that the Lord is always on the side of right and it is up to us to try to cross over from where we are to His side. It is apparent that God is only for us when we are on His side, and not expect Him to be on our side when we are bent on doing what we think is right because it is best for us. It is amazing how some seem to think that what is best for them must be right and do whatever they deem necessary in order to achieve their own desires. The end does not justify the means. Many atrocities have been committed in the name of the Lord in the past. Unfortunately it is still happening today.

We recall an incident when a brother was spreading lies about another brother. Brother ”A” who was telling the lies was approached in a kindly and loving way by Brother ”B” who was the subject of Brother ”A’s” abuse. He asked why he was being accused of beliefs and actions that were not true. Brother ”A’s” answer was, ”It does not matter if they are true or not, it is my duty to discredit you at all costs.” In the misguided mind of Brother ”A” the end did justify the means because his goal was to completely discredit Brother ”B” and if he had to lie in order to accomplish this worthy goal, well it just had to be. All this time Brother ”A” behaved as if he had a special calling from God to defame his brother. All this he was doing in the name of the Lord, or so he thought. How sad.

Solomon told us that ”there is a way that seemeth right until a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

It is important that we each examine ourselves to see if we are truly following our Lord. Are we so bent on doing what we ”think” is right that we convince ourselves that the Lord is following us?

It was Azariah who was sent by God to King Asa with the message, ”The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” King David instructed his 19 year old son, Solomon saying, ”know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.” Solomon began well and ”The LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly” but later his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, and the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel.”

We love to quote Paul who told us that ”If God be for us, who can be against us.” It is true but it is qualified by the big little word ”if.”

God speaking of his chosen people said, ”Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their, Saviour. In all their affliction he was of flicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.”

It is wonderful to have God for us. ”The Lord is always on the side of right.” May our ”constant anxiety and prayer be that we will always be on the Lord’s side.”