Proverbs 1:10 My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!
I walked into the lobby of the church, and a lady who was visiting said, “Do you remember me, I was a student in your class in bible college back in 1985? When recognition dawned, I said, “Yes, I do remember you.” We talked for a while concerning our lives’ good and bad turning points. One of the things she said was that she had walked away from God for a time, and her life had become a mess until she repented and returned to her Lord. I have heard this story many times over the years and thought, “Why do we need another bite of the apple? Wasn’t the bite of disobedience which Adam and Eve took evidence enough that life outside of God is a world of thorns and thistles?” Gen. 3:17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
There it is, the question for all mankind. Why do we need another bite of the apple, or sinful fruit, to find out that sin still leads to death? Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. What is it within the heart of man that causes us to yearn for a sin that we know brings grief into our lives, and yet, we still fall into it? The human condition is in a fallen state of being, and no matter how much we try to change ourselves, we keep reaching for another bite of the apple. Our fallen nature is older than the mysteries of the Lemurian continent. Yet, we keep trying to fix ourselves with self-righteous works, which in itself, is a mystery, because we keep working at what does not work. Why do we keep hitting our heads against the wall expecting a different result, other than pain?
We see this destructive behaviour throughout the books and records of the Kings in the Old Testament. Repeatedly, the statement, “And the king did evil in the sight of the Lord,” is said over and over again. King after king kept taking another bite of the apple, and it just brought more destruction upon their nation. 1Kings 15:26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. Not only did the kings keep falling for the same old things, but their disobedience allowed the people of the nation to do the same. 2Tim. 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
We need to pray for our leaders because as the leadership within a country, province, or municipality is in character, the same will eventually become what people permit in their lives. What leadership allows to happen within a society will give licence to do whatever feels right, even if the activity is evil. Before you know it, many are not just taking another bite of the apple but are devouring it. Eccl. 8:11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.
By praying for our leaders, whether you voted for them or not, we are maneuvering God’s hand of conviction upon their hearts and minds. The blessing for those who do pray for their leaders is that they will live in peace, whether there is peace in the land or not. 1Tim. 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
The uncomprehending wonderment that is being expressed when the Psalmist says, “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?” is truly an amazing thought. The fact that God takes such a personal interest in His creation is a mystery to behold. From the moment Adam and Eve caused a separation between God and man through disobedience, God immediately started the restoration process for mankind. Gen. 3:21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. From the garden of Eden, where God covered our naked shame with lambs’ skins, to the cross, where the lamb of God was slain for us all, our friendship with God was reinstated. Our Heavenly Father has given His all to restore our relationship with Him and each other. We, with our free will, would be wise to graciously accept the Lord’s love offering. It is the only thing we can do to become the righteousness of God in Christ and be at peace with our creator.
Before any of us consider running off and taking another bite of the apple, consider the eternal work that has been done on our behalf. For eons in the making, we have been part of a plan that is being worked out for God’s eternal purpose. I realize getting our minds around this idea is somewhat perplexing from a small positional point on this earth, but we have the Mighty God living within us where His vastness of infinite power, grace, absolute loving-kindness, and wisdom resides. Is it possible that our Lord may know a bit more of the eternal plan than we do? I think so. Therefore, put away the idea of leaving God for a season just to find out that outside of the Lord’s protection real death awaits us. Prov. 1:10 My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!
The Lord is life to those who find Him and to those Jesus has found. Micah 2:7b Do not My words do good to him who walks uprightly? God bless you.
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