"GOD"

One of the greatest mistakes made by people is their lack of understanding God and His nature. Many have taken God, because of His great mercy and compassion, and turned Him into an idol! The Almighty is made into 'fluff' and He will always respond to our whims and ways. That is a very dangerous attitude and road to walk when one thinks God will always be there to help, no matter what one thinks or what they choose, even if they are doing no harm to another. "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor." (Habakkuk 1:13)

God is a lover of people. He cares deeply for the eternal destination of each and every soul. I cannot begin to grasp His love and concern. However, He is also a God of justice, righteousness and truth! Love demands those characteristics. God cannot do things unjustly. It is impossible for Him to be unrighteous and He always upholds and stands in the truth. To minimize any of these is to create a 'god' different than the Almighty!

Here is where mistakes are made. I hear many, who speak about the path they choose to walk, or their direction of their lives. They are comfortable with their choices, never realizing this truth: "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Prov. 14:12) Many seem to think their lives, their choices are the right choice but it will take them into death, spiritual death. How does one avoid that? If the path we have chosen does not take us upward, deeper into the things God, more dedicated, more concerned for spiritual food and less concern for the world, more love for His children, our brothers and sisters, we are not going to arrive at God's intention. "For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite and whose glory is their shame, who set their minds on earthly things." (Phil. 3:18-19) The deception for many is their own desires become what they go after, not the desires of God. Their minds are constantly set on earthly things (which is fleshly). The things they take pride in, glory in are things that will eventually take them down into shame.

What is more sobering to the mind is how God deals with each person. "For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." (II Thes. 2:11-12) To not love the truth, to not pursue the truth has drastic consequences. God will send a deluding influence to take you away, further from Him, while you think you are alright! What a scary thought. Why would God do that? Because His righteousness and justice demand that!! When people want to believe what is false, follow thinking that is false, He makes certain they find it. That's what they choose and He opens the door to find the deception they go after. It is true, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." And God will help you along that way if that's what you want. I encourage us to pause and re-think about what we seek, who and what we love and where our lives are really headed. God loves, God cares and God is merciful but His truth will stand as He has no part of any deception, half-hearted devotion in the lives of anyone.