Monday, February 20, 2017

Is it dog or GOD?

Probing Proverbs: 3:33-35 The LORD curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright. The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble. The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame!

I am often confounded by man’s attitude toward His Maker. The way so many people talk about God, accusing Him of terrible things, they sound like the master! No one I know that owned a dog would allow that animal to be the master and they the servant. Yet, when we see that God will let us curse and mock Him, and then when He treats you the way you treat Him, we become all indignant! If our dog were able to curse and mock us, I doubt he would be around very long. There is a principle that God has set in place:

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

This is not a judgment; it is a clear guideline; that works in either direction. Reaping can be good, if we sowed properly. Notice what God goes on to say:

Galatians 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.


The choice is ours! When we choose evil, God just returns back what we give. So when we choose to honor Him as God, living close to Him we reap His grace, mercy, love…the list is endless! Even when it comes to eternity, it is our choice. God sends no one to eternity separated from Him. He has paid for all sin; so forgiveness and eternity is there for all that desire it. If we say no, He is only granting what we want, how can He be faulted for that? 
Sadly, our flesh is so subtle that we convince ourselves He is mean because we never said NO outright. However, the truth is if we want to live close to God, we must approach Him on His terms. When we decide “If He wants to be my God, then He must come to me on my terms!” Believe it or not, that is the same as saying no. GOD will not be a little god, and when we treat Him like that He is more like a dog than GOD. He had every right to disown the creation that rebelled against Him. Instead He paid the total price for our sin and has offered His forgiveness to any that would ask for it. He made His Son Jesus as the bridge that would give us a relationship with Almighty God. Only ONE Bridge, ONE Way. There is no cost except our own pride and desire to be the one calling the shots. 
God will not operate that way – His gift is free, and you can receive it…but it is His gift and must be taken the way He made it. You cannot have a custom made bridge. Jesus is Who He is and He will not become someone or something else. Perhaps our problem is spiritually we are dyslexic, we think dog instead of God! He is GOD, a very loving One at that!    

Lastly, the promise at the end of this passage is so wonderful. A real inheritance! Inheritance is something that we think a lot about in this world. Many work their whole life to leave money to their kids, only to die and not see their children throw it away on destructive living. Some spend their life just waiting for someone to die in hopes of getting rich over night, only to find that the person that died left everything to their cat! The greatest inheritance is the one that does not depend on others and is eternal in its scope! The scriptures are filled with statements that express the truth that we can control our inheritance. Whether it be rewards in heaven, which we earn through our lives after we come to salvation, or the inheritance we leave our children, by bringing them up in the Word and love of Jesus, so that no matter their circumstances in this life, they have Truths that guide them through it and end in eternal life itself. If you seek wisdom…honor will find you! 


The so what? Do you understand that if GOD is GOD, He is the One calling the shots? Do you live your life that clearly shows that? When you wrestle for control of your life…we all do because we are sinners…who wins most of the time? What does that say about your walk with God? Have you made sure that the inheritance you have is an eternal one? If you have been trying to be the master, would you be willing to admit that and change the direction of your life? God will honor that!