On my way to the patio through the family room, I heard Judge Judy on her TV court tell the plaintiff, “Your cousin in not responsible that a tree fell on your car and damaged it which you loaned to her. It’s called an ‘Act of God.’” She slammed her gavel, “Case dismissed!”
The plaintiff yelled out, “ If my cousin was on fire, I wouldn’t put it out!”
I mumbled under my breath, “Why you evil, evil person. How could you even think such a thing?”
I sat down and wondered what makes us think such evil thoughts as letting someone burn to death if we could prevent it?
The prophet Jeremiah answered my question: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” 17:9
So what made the plaintiff’s anger consume her when she didn’t get what she thought she deserved? Her evil heart.
Let us never forget that cousin could have been anyone of us behaving that way in court if God’s constraining hand were not on our shoulder.
The original King James Bible seems appropriate here. Except for God’s gracious restraining hand, “There goeth thou.”
Guarded Hearts 
PRAISE GODPRAISE HIM FOR HIS GRACIOUS RESTRAINING HAND!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!! I KEEP PRAISING PRAISING GOD FOR SO MANY THINGSAND ONE OF THEM IS UMBILICAL AND YOU LEON AND YOU EMILY.LOVE FROM RUTHE
Thank you Father God for your restraining hand!!!! I need it.
Sent from Windows Mail
I thank God for his restraining hands . Amen.
What would a day be like, if we lived it without God’s restraining hand ….. how thankful I am not to know that. Yet I can think, say and do things that are so similar to the cousin in your blog ….. Dear God, create in me a clean heart!