Lest We Forget!

“Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you: Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.” (Psalm 50:22,23 NIV)

What is it that He wants us to consider? Meditating on the verses before these, should help us to understand that God is not fooled by those who do not claim to serve Him, spouting His Word, and living in opposition to it! Starting with verse 16, He asks, "What right do the wicked have to recite His laws or have His covenant on their lips? Especially those who hate instruction and cast His Word behind them when it doesn't suit their purposes?"

Once again, we see people can be snared by their own lips when--we say one thing and yet do another. How can any claim to understand how Jesus loves and wants us to love without accepting that He is the Father, come down to earth in the flesh, and He would not change His Father's Word to suit Himself or us?

According to The Word--when we change the intent of God's Word for our own purposes--no matter who we are or what our "so called status" is in life, He will have the last word and it is He who will set out the evidence before the accused and find Him guilty.

Let's stop playing games with The Word--trying to impress others with our knowledge or ability to quote The Word when we are incapable of living The Word! No one is impressed by this and certainly God is not fooled by what we say when He knows our hearts!  Man-up or Woman-up and live like God wants us to live--according to His Word, not our fleshly dictates!

After all, this is the season we celebrate His loving us enough to join us--here on earth--to experience life--like we do and yet not sin, according to The Word!

What Do They See?

"If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message," (2 Corinthians 12:6 NLT).

With this statement Paul is making, it appears that when we are telling the truth, we are not necessarily boasting, but some could take it that way. Why should this matter? If we're going to create an environment in which people will want to know our Risen Savior, we must make sure that they "see" us living what we preach and not just hear us--boasting about what we are able to do through Him.

If we are indeed a new creation in Christ Jesus, do people see us doing the same old things we used to do that kept us in a quagmire of ungodly living?

Are we living with others in an intimate relationship outside of marriage--as God defines marriage?

Are we subjecting ourselves to the fallout of using illicit drugs?

Are we mindful of the laws designed to protect the innocent and do we adhere to them?

Are we allowing our tongues to wag and snag others into the pits that kept us receiving God's best in our lives?

If we say we are born again, and yet--others see us as though we have never heard of Jesus Christ, what benefit is that to the Kingdom of God?

Are we not aware that we when we "say" one thing and yet do another--we are hypocrites?

Do people see us being friendly and courteous to others--no matter what the situation that arises?

Do they see us respond calmly to negative events or do we clown like the heathens and then--five minutes later--we are heard praising God?

If we really want to win others to Christ, we must become "living epistles read of men" for the glory of the kingdom of God and not our own.

It is not what people hear us say that convinces them our God is an awesome God--it is what they see us do--in trying times as well as the good times--that convinces them of our God.

God is faithful to keep us focused on Him when we allow Him to do so. If we're going to boast--let this be our boast--He is faithful--and we must learn to do the same.

Father, in the name of Jesus, help us to become more like You with each breath we take and show others by what we do, not what we say--just how awesome You are.