Pastor Joe’s devotion is in the White House Connection Newspaper this week!
Your Life Was Meant to be Safe and Sound!
God get’s blamed for many things in this world for which He is not responsible, (sickness, disease, premature death, deadly weather, etc…). Jesus tried to help us understand this by stating in John 10:10 that “The thief (Satan) comes to steal, to kill and to destroy, but He (Jesus) came to bring life and life abundantly. How much clearer can it get that God is not in the destroying business. He is into life-giving, (Acts 3:19, 2 Chronicles 7:14). John 3:17 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 confirms that He is into “restoring life”. If we want our lives to be safe and sound, there is only one way to get it and that is through Jesus Christ; following Him through His Word.
To experience the abundant life man needs to be reconciled to God; why? Adam’s disobedience (sin), in the Garden, separated Adam from God and gave Satan rights he never had prior to that disobedience, (Genesis 1:26, 3:1-19, 2 Corinthians 4:4). However, because of God’s love for His creation, He immediately established a way to restore man back to Himself, (Genesis 3:15, John 3:16, 1 John 3:8). And in time God sent forth His Son, Jesus to show us the character of God, (Hebrews 1:3) and become a sacrifice for Adam’s sin (and ours). Because of His obedience He was able to restore man back into fellowship with God and restore the authority God gave to Adam (Romans 5:19, Luke 10:19).
However, even though Jesus took back what Satan stole from Adam, and through His sinless life restored fellowship between God and man; every person has a choice in the matter. It is each person’s decision whether they will give their life to Christ and live for Him (according to His Word) or follow their own way, the worlds way or Satan’s, (Proverbs 14:12). It is a decision that each one of us must make and also understand that we will give an account of our decision when we stand before God (2 Corinthians 5:10).
If we choose to accept Christ and follow Him we are on the road to the abundant life. If we choose not to accept Christ we are on our own and cannot expect the leading, the protection or the provision of God in our lives, (Psalm 34, Psalm 91). If we say that we accept Christ and do not follow His ways we are deceiving ourselves and cannot experience the abundant life, (James 1:22-25).
One important key to living the abundant life is understanding a foundational principle in the Word of God, found in Galatians 6:7-8; the law of sowing and reaping – “ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” That does not mean just life when we leave this earth. It means life here on earth as well. That is what Jesus said in John 10:10 – “abundant life”!
Everything you do in this life is like planting a seed and seeds produce crops. Many times through ignorance we think we can say or do what we want without consequences; that thinking is not truth – it is a lie from Satan. If you want to live the abundant life that Jesus promised to His followers, learn to plant life giving seeds and not life taking seeds. Sow seeds of forgiveness and not unforgiveness, seeds of love and not hate, seeds of kindness and not meanness, seeds of generosity and not greed. Speak words of life and not death, (Proverbs 18:21, Proverbs 12:6).
No-where in the Word of God will you find that God says He wants you to be sick. On the contrary, there are many scriptures that state in one way or another that God’s desire for you is to be in health, to prosper and be protected (3 John 2, Psalm 34:7, John 3:17, Proverbs 4:20-22). If that is God’s desire and plan, why are so many followers of Christ sick? In most situations they are sowing destructive seeds, and those seeds grow and impact their life in one way or another.
There is not enough room in this article to discuss all the scriptures stating God’s desire/plan for man, but I encourage you to get into the Word of God to search out what His Word says about His protection, His leading and His Provision. Ask Him to reveal truth to you. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, that those who continue in His Word are His disciples and they would know the truth and the truth would set them free.
Make a decision today to start reading the Word of God daily and attend a church that teaches the Word of God and not the philosophy of man or the world. Sow good seeds (based on the Word of God) and live the abundant life.
