I am proud of God's Word because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes. God tried to save the Jews first but when they did not listen he offered the privilege to the Gentile. The Word of God shows how he makes people right with himself and that begins with faith. The scripture says "But those who are right with God will live by trusting in him." ~Habakkuk 2:4.
The Bible also says "God shows his anger against all the evil and wrong things people do. By their own evil lives they hide the truth. God shows his anger because some knowledge of him has been make clear to them. Yes, God has shown himself to them. There are things about him that people cannot see - his eternal power and all the things that make him God. But since the beginning of the world those things have been easy to understand by what God has made. So people have no excuse for the bad things they do. They knew God, but they did not give glory to God or thank him. Their thinking became useless. Their foolish minds were filled with darkness. They said they were wise, but they became fools. They traded the glory of God who lives forever for the worship of idols made to look like earthly people, birds, animals and snakes."
"Because they did these things, God left them and let them go their sinful way, wanting only to do evil. As a result, they became full of sexual sin, using their bodies wrongly with each other. They traded the truth of God for a lie. They worshiped and served what had been created instead of the God who created those things, who should be praised forever."
"Because people did those things, God left them and let them do shameful things they wanted to do. Women stopped having natural sex and started having sex with other women. In the same way, men stopped having natural sex and began wanting each other. Men did shameful things with other men and in their bodies they received the punishment for those wrongs."
"People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking and to do things they should not do. They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, selfishness and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying and thinking the worst about each other. They gossip and say evil things about each other. They hate God. They are rude and conceited and brag about themselves. They invent ways of doing evil. They do not obey their parents. They are foolish, they do not keep their promises and they show no kindness or mercy to others. They know what God's law says, that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, they applaud others who do them."
This describes so much of what we see in the world today but it was taken from Romans 1:18-32.
It is frightening how things that have happened in the past repeat themselves no matter who makes up the culture or what society is involved. Humans are inherently evil, it is not a learned behavior. Children don't have to be taught to lie or be selfish, it comes naturally. It is a behavior that can become a way of life. As parents, we have to be mindful and consistently discipline to correct these bad habits so they don't destroy the life we have guided. We do this by using our knowledge of what is best for them through God's word.
What happens when children become adults and no longer have parents that constantly correct their behavior? God should be in their lives and the relationship they have with him should govern their behavior as it does our own. It should be our desire to behave as God has instructed in the scriptures only driven by the love we feel for him. By doing so, we teach our children to love God and to obey his commandments.
What happens when we decide that we have no interest in obeying his word? He tells us that he will turn his face from us but will continue to let us choose our own path. Once we know him or about him, we will make the choice our conscience dictates to either follow him or not. But, if we follow the evil desires of our own hearts we are also choosing death. It is such a frustrating time for parents when they see their child making mistakes and having to pay the consequences for their actions. It can be just as painful for the parent to go through the emotion of disappointment in the child as it is for the child to bear what ever punishment they have earned.
This is what God must feel when we stray from his commandments. When we choose to follow our own fleshly desires instead of what we know, through his word, is right and good. I believe the situation is similar for God to see us suffer the consequences of our choices when we choose what is sinful. All he can do is respect our choice, turn away and let the consequences happen. We often blame God for bad things happening in our lives when it is actually the consequences of our own bad choices.
What if we haven't done anything wrong, why then do bad things happen? People have a hard time understanding why bad things are allowed to happen to good people. The sad fact of the matter is evil exists in this world and there will be no end to it as long as people are caught up in the lies of Satan and his cohorts. When God gave man free rein to choose good or evil it created a world where all is not fair. Satan doesn't care what is fair or right because he is evil and only does things that serves himself no matter who it effects, even good people.
We must depend on God to judge and punish others because he is righteous and his justice will be served but in his time and in his way. We may not always understand why it doesn't happen as quickly as we like. Sometimes justice may have to wait until the offender goes before the throne of God himself, but rest assured in the knowledge that justice will be done.
Another reason bad things happen, as we have seen in Job, sometimes they happen through no fault of our own and are merely tests of our faith. If things are good for too long a stretch we can become lukewarm and need to be jolted back to God. That's the sad thing about human nature, there are times when we get so comfortable that we are no longer thankful or remember to praise God for what we have in life. Often we need a reminder that we are so blessed to have what we do, many have much less. It's good practice to start your morning prayer with thanks and praise to God for all the kindness and provision he has shown to you and your family members.
With an attitude of gratefulness it is much easier to stay within the perimeter of God's commands. I do this by writing in a journal each evening going over the day in my mind and writing down significant events and emotions I'd felt. It makes it easier to express gratitude and renews appreciation for the gifts he has given me. Ending with prayer is a wonderful way to end the day, you will find yourself drawing closer to God day by day. Soon you will be rewarded with a closer more intimate relationship with the Lord our creator than you have ever had before. Going to church for fellowship maintains your walk with him but it cannot replace experiencing a personal relationship one on one, that's where I find my comfort and strength.
If you have fallen away or are on the wrong path, consider these things and know that forgiveness is there for you, if you will only turn from sin and ask for forgiveness.
Everyday is another chance to make things right, you do not have to continue as you are. If he can accept and forgive Paul, a murderer of Christians, he can forgive you too. All you have to do is ask, be sincere, refrain from your sin in the future and walk in the light from here on forward.
For those who don't know him: Ask him into your life with a sincere heart and he will come. Knock at his door and it will open, seek and you will find him. Be prepared to put God before all things and he will give you all that you need. It is never too late. There is nothing you could have ever done that he cannot forgive. All things become new to those who choose to walk in the light, only through Christ the Lord. For he came to save us from ourselves and Satan, not to condemn us. Please, offer him your heart and let him save you too.
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