Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
As Christians I sometimes feel as though we forget who God really is, a consuming fire and His judgement. Instead we dwell on His merciful side which we most times take for granted because we know He is just and faithful to forgive us. I have been a Christian pretty much all of my all life but have only been a true Believer and a daughter in the last 17 months. Why do I say this? I never obeyed His commands nor did I honour His covenant with me. My Christian life was all about me and what I could get from Him. I was a Christian by title and nothing else. I made myself idols in the form of obsession with material things and feeding the desires of my flesh on a constant and a daily basis. When I fornicated knowing very well I shouldn't, I will go and read Psalm 51 and prayed for forgiveness.
My hair dresser of blessed memories used to call me Vanity Fair, I worshipped my hair. I will rather deprive myself of sleeping comfortably just so my hair can remain perfect. I wouldn't leave my house without make-up on or even look at myself in the mirror without it. I wouldn't be seen repeating my clothes. I was what you called a popular girl with a reputation. The girl most men fancied, most older women and of my age hated and envied, younger up and coming girls wanting to be me. Went to church when it was convenient, prayed when I was in trouble. These were the things that I had my absolute loyalty, commitment to and worshiped.
In churches today, for some of you my dear sisters and brothers in Christ, it might be that guy you can't seem to let go off, or being the office the gossip, disrespectful to your husband or wife, cheating, gambling etc. And when you know in your heart it is wrong but somehow you convince yourself it is okay for as long as you confess it to God and ask for His forgiveness. Why do you do it? We do because we forget, "the LORD our God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." And is morally perfect and how much He hates sin and cannot accept its practice especially when it's of His own cherished sons and daughters who should know better.
We forget so quickly how sin kept us from entering God's presence till Jesus Christ paid the penalty with His life and in doing so removed God's judgement forever by His death. However when we commit sin deliberately out of no reverence to Him and out of disobedient after we have accepted His free precious gift of wiping away all our sins, we then making ourselves preys of the devil and tempering with God's wrath. We are then entrusting our life and future into the hands of the devil to have dominion over us even though he has been conquered on our behalf and placed under our feet for good. We, in our own rights give him back this authority freely and willing and become enslaved to his tactics.
Then we have the nerve to cry and complain about how God isn't hearing us and how we aren't experiencing the joy He promised us through Christ Jesus. You wonder why you go to church every Sunday, pay your tithe, give offering and commit your life to the work of the house of God and yet for some reason you can't feel that peace and tranquillity that only comes from Him and to receive the promise of His blessings concerning your life. ".....The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great--and for destroying those who destroy the earth."-- Revelation 11:18
I came to tell you it's not too late to turn away from all the idols you have created in your life, trusting in Jesus Christ to save you from the cluches of the devil allowing you to begin a personal relationship with Him today. One that promises never to leave you nor forsake you and His grace to resist the temptations of sins and also creating a way of espcape when it arises.
Rerflections:
What are you enslaved to today?
What habits do you need entrusting in the gracious hands of the Lord?
Power verses:
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.--2 Corinthians 12:9
I can do everything through him who gives me strength-- Philippians 4:13
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.-- 1 Corinthians 10:13
if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.-- 2 Peter 2:9
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'-- Matthew 6:13
2011 By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.
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