Today is Thursday, September 8th, 2022. Ever wonder why people can be so hard-hearted toward God? I bet many of us have relatives or family members who live without a need for God, yet they seem to prosper and do fine without Him. However, in Genesis 6:3 in the Living Bible, we find some chilling words: “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time…” Other translations say that “God will not strive with man forever.” There is a window of grace, and we must act before it closes. Read on…
Today's Reading:
Jeremiah 42,43,44; Psalms 48; Revelation 13
Scripture
“Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, a large assembly responded to Jeremiah saying, “As for the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, We are not going to listen to you. But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven …” (Jeremiah 44:15-17)
Observation
Hard hearts. Resistant souls. Strong-minded people. Defiant saints.
No, it wasn’t that they were all pagans. Many of them knew God. They weren’t ignorant; they knew full well what they were doing. God sent prophet after prophet, warning after warning. Yet, they told Jeremiah to take a hike. (Or maybe they were saying that to God.)
They enjoyed their lifestyle, the immorality, the defiant-towards-God life. They had the “666” on their foreheads, and they loved it so. But why? Why would they be so defiant in their sin and lifestyle when they knew that it was against God’s heart?
Application
One possibility is that they mistook God’s
grace as permission. They couldn’t have been further from the truth! God gives grace and delays the consequences for one reason alone — in hopes we will repent and return to Him. But, when the people saw that there were no consequences, they misdefined grace. Those who lived that lifestyle felt they could continue in sin … since God was withholding consequences anyway. But God does not withhold consequences. Instead, he delays them to give us more time to come to our senses and return!
The same deception that Lucifer used in the garden, he still uses today. For when Eve said, “’ God told us that if we ate of this fruit we shall die,’ Lucifer replied: ‘You surely shall not die!” (Gen. 3:4). Without consequences, those who live in sin figure their lifestyle can be their lifestyle of choice, and they trade their forever for today.
Prayer
God, I’m grateful for Your grace, but let me not take this for granted! I’d rather learn from wisdom than consequences any day! Thank You for this reminder and for Your grace that will lead me home.
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