Message
from the Monthly Flyer from September 2011
"If the LORD be God,
follow him..." |
Elijah
made this statement on the day that, he challenged the nation
Israel about who God is and compelled them to make a decision.
1.Kings 18:21
And Elijah came to all the people, and said,
"How long will you falter between two opinions? If the
LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But
the people answered him not a word.
Nobody can completely give himself to something, unless he is
convinced that the product, idea, or person is right in his
own eyes. In our present day, the world is confused when it
concerns God. People are easy prey for the unrighteous, for
those who do wrong, and especially for the devil. The task of
the enemy is to bring people into corruption by deception, which
finally ends with eternal damnation.
Although Israel knew better, yet nonetheless, they did not keep
up personal contact with God; and as a result, they lived in
the past. Religion became a lifeless matter for them, so that
they inclined to follow false doctrines and practices.
We, also, are blessed to recognize the things of God. However,
we must protect ourselves from letting our lives be led by circumstances,
or the blessings of God, instead of by God Himself. Many things
could be the truth, but without an interaction with the God
of these truths, they could just be a replacement for God, from
whom they emanate.
The challenge today is very great and should be taken seriously,
for we are literally surrounded "by every wind of a doctrine",
which clamours for our attention and demands that we follow
it, doing what it says.
...that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery
of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
Ephesians 4:14
We must spend time studying the Bible and in prayer, so that
we can resist the evil which is against our soul. If God is
really who He says He is, then we should follow Him from our
whole hearts. It should not be a sad task being His servant,
for in His presence is the fullness of joy.
He requires and deserves our total surrender. Then, as God,
there is no-one beside Him who in some particular way can compare
to Him, and there is no-one who is even close to doing so either.
Nobody is able to do better than He can. He is so gracious and
kind to us all, and is patient with our mistakes which we keep
making.
We should be happy to serve Him and can consider ourselves blessed
to be accepted by Him.
sw