(taken from the 'Weekly Devotionals' section of the John Hagee Ministries web site)

Some people blame God when a crisis strikes them- even when, in fact, the problem is frequently the consequences of their poor choices. A big, burly man once sat in my office with his left arm cut off at his elbow. He blamed God for this career-ending injury that happened in a one-man car crash. He had been the driver of the car, and he was drunk at the time of accident. He screamed at me as he pointed to his stub, "Look what God did to me!"

I must confess that I was not in the mood to give him the "Harvard Temperament Test." Nor was I willing to listen to him insult our God. Instead, I looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Your stupid choices caused your injury. You chose to get drunk. You chose to drive after you got drunk. You drove the car into a tree, and as a result your arm was cut off. Quit blaming God. You are living with the consequences of the choices you made."

The man didn't like what I told him, but for the first time, he was forced to face the truth: His tragedy was his own fault.

Tragedy is often caused by our lack of knowledge. When President McKinley was shot, he was attended by two physicians, Drs. Weiss and Bliss. Since x-rays had not yet been invited, the doctors could only make an educated guess concerning the exact location of the bullet in the president's body. They followed Dr. Bliss's diagnosis in treating the president, but Bliss was wrong. The president of the United States died as a result. The newspaper headlines screamed the next day: "Ignorance Is Bliss!"

Remember that: ? Ignorance can kill you-or someone you love! ? Ignorance can prevent a cure for cancer or heart disease. ? Ignorance of God's existence and His power prevents millions from knowing Him.