How often do we create our own version of the truth about the future? What if we could have the foresight to avoid making wrong decisions? Jesus taught:
A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father,
“Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.”
So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said,
“How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.'”
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
But the father said to his servants,
“Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
And they began to be merry.
Luke 15:11-24 NKJV
I wonder IF the son had known—WHEN he made the decision to leave his father’s house that—he would end up starving with the pigs? Did he think, “I’m gonna go spend all my inheritance because I can’t wait to starve and live with the pigs?!” I doubt it. But he created his own version of truth about the future, and abandoned the wisdom of his father. Like Eve in the Garden, the enemies deceived him into believing he was better off without His Father. So he chose the “wisdom” of His own way and it led to sorrow beyond his comprehension.
Ah, my friend, we can learn such a valuable lesson. The fact is, every day and every moment of the day—we have a choice—follow God’s truth or follow the version of truth perpetuated by our enemies.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Proverbs 14:12 NKJV
The fact is that if our truth deviates from God’s truth, it makes us an ENEMY of God. To follow any truth with more passion than we follow God’s way means we love Him LESS than we love our own way. This is serious. It means we’re unfaithful to God in the same way a spouse is unfaithful; in fact—it makes us an enemy of God:
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
James 4:4 NKJV
My friend, we need to understand the consequences of every wrong word or deed BEFORE we do it! No choice to sin—whether it be, lying, cheating, gossiping, sexual immorality, overeating, worry, etc., will—EVER lead to good things in our life! We must consider the end result. But there is an even MORE powerful way to keep us walking in God’s ways..finding our greatest pleasure in God’s presence!
When we make an everyday decision to live close to God, our bad habits starve and become weak and—our love for God becomes our greatest passion!
Before we are born again, our flesh rules our life because our soul and spirit are dead to God. But when Christ redeems us, we have His genetics and are enabled to make a choice—to either be guided by the Holy Spirit, or to gratify our sinful flesh. Like the prodigal son, we must decide if we will feed the flame of our own desires with the temporal pleasures of the world and walk the path of ruin, or, choose the blessings of living God’s way.
The right choice is made easier when we understand the great cost of the wrong decision.
BUT falling in love with Christ is always our best motivator!
God gave His BEST for us. When we unite our will with His will, He fills us with all of HIS good things and our sinful weaknesses are far less tempting.
Loving God more than loving anyone or anything—ALWAYS blesses us far beyond what we could ever ask for or imagine!
We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.
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One Response
He longs to give us the desires of our heart. We must trust him.