WE SHALL NOT DIE - Reading With the People of God #17নমুনা

Devoted or Deceived: The Master You Serve

None of us can claim that we have only ever followed The Lord God with all of our heart, mind, body, and soul for the entirety of our existence. NONE. God’s Grace is what covers this truth, allowing us to pick up, carry on, and RE-ALIGN our hearts with Jesus Christ at each point of sin/compromise that has touched our existence. God’s grace can not be misused/abused with willful and blatant compromise. To do so only serves one purpose: to shut our Holy Father out and allow the father of all lies in. The danger of drifting from God’s Truth to our own version of truth/flesh usually happens gradually. One small step at a time. One compromise at a time. The temptation that Jesus Himself endured from Satan the deceiver was endured one step at a time, and at each step, Jesus relied on His Heavenly Father’s Word to battle deception. In enduring the onslaught of temptation, the devil left Him and waited for another opportunity to try again. Jesus was filled with God’s Holy Spirit and was able to carry out His ministry mission because of His devotion to The One True God. Jesus was devoted to God while He walked this earth wearing flesh. Jesus carved The Path for us to be able to follow in His steps.

God’s chosen people, time and time again, have shown their attachment to weak flesh throughout scripture. We are no different than them; we are them. In order to stand apart, we must abide in His Word. We must not only consume the Red Letters (Jesus’ spoken words), but we must humble ourselves and ask Him to help us live them out. If we don’t daily come to His throne room on our knees asking for His provision, His help, His will, we step out in our own understanding and allow our hearts to drift. Drift far enough, and the posture of your heart will begin to harden; you will no longer feel His Holy Spirit or hear His promptings to guide you and instruct you. Deception is dangerously close to devotion. The only difference between the two, is the identity of the one whom you allow to sit on the throne of your heart.

God will use whom He chooses to use. But we decide on the terms in which we are used. Will you be a pawn used by The Lord without the knowledge of His presence? Or will you dive deeper into Jesus and His teachings than you have yet to do in search for more of Him to surrender to? For there is always more to learn, to know, and to grow in the sight of our gracious and timeless Father. Devoted or Deceived; you choose.

Primer contributed by Ardena Hamill, Celebrate Recovery encourager