“Yet they say to God,
‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.” – Job 21:14 AMP
There was a man I
knew well when I was young and attending college. His family owned a number of almond orchards
in Northern California. One day three of
us were having lunch in the Student Union (cafeteria) we got into a discussion
about God. This young man told me that
his family was stanch church attenders and he grew up in the church. He told me he knew there was a God but he
believed he had committed “the unpardonable sin” and was dammed to hell
anyway. I asked him what sin he did and
he said that he had rejected God so now there was no hope for him. Our mutual friend (also from a family who
owned a lot of almond orchards) and I had lengthy discussions during our
lunches with him, talking about God’s forgiveness and sharing many scriptures
with him but, even though he listened, he never changed his mind. A year later this friend committed suicide.
“Though the pride of Israel testifies against
him, Yet they do not return [in repentance] to the Lord their God, Nor seek nor
search for nor desire Him [as essential] in spite of all this.” – Hosea 7:10 AMP
That this friend of
mine died without Jesus has always grieved my heart. It reminds me of lyrics from the Frankie
Valli song “so close and yet so far” (My Eyes Adored You). He chose to refuse what Jesus did for him
when He died on the cross. Even after we
had tried to convince him otherwise he chose his own path away from God.
I have another
friend in Northern California who was a minister. He was the associate pastor of a church. Through struggles with his wife and family as
well as trying to carry a heavy load of college classes and work full-time too he
drew away from God. It was not a quick
decision but a gradual pulling away. He
left his wife and child and today he centers his life on his regular job and
girlfriend. He no longer attends church
nor socializes with his Christian friends.
He choses to live life on his own terms no matter how it effects those
around him.
“Woe to you who are
well-fed (gorged, satiated) now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh
now [enjoying a life of self-indulgence], for
you will mourn and weep [and deeply long for God].” – Luke 6:25 AMP
Life is certainly
full of choices but sometimes I think that we do not see the consequences of
them. Because of rejecting God, one
young man ended his life; because of rejecting God another young man tore up
his family. It makes us pause and
consider, what consequence will come of our choices made today?
“Do this, knowing that this is a critical time. It is already
the hour for you to awaken from your sleep [of spiritual complacency]; for our
salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed [in Christ].” – Romans 13:11 AMP
As the times we live
in become more and more perilous we need to choose and grasp what will see us
through. Jesus will see us through.
“Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love
of the Father is not in him. For all
that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of
God abideth for ever. “ – 1 John 2:15-17 AMP
My friends, now is
the time to choose. If you choose to
continue to walk in your own ways and do your own thing then the consequences
of your choices will catch up with you.
But, if you choose to look to and seek hard after God then your choice will yield rich blessings indeed.
“In the future there is
reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God
and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that
[great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed
for and welcomed His appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:8 AMP
So, make your
choice, what will you choose?
“Now therefore fear the
Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your
fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the
Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to
serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which
your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but
as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15
