Monday, July 10, 2017

Unintended Results

Monday, July 10, 2017
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.  They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.  For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.  Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature.  So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.  And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.  As a result, their minds became dark and confused.  Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.  And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.  So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired.  As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.  They traded the truth about God for a lie.  So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 
Romans 1:18-25(NLT)
As a young teen I had an old motorcycle that could never have passed anyone’s inspection, especially the Motor Vehicle Department.  I have an idea my Dad let me buy the contraption from a neighbor for two reasons:
#1. It would never pass inspection, and therefore never hit the streets of Smithtown.
#2. It was so under-powered my Dad’s youngest son would probably not crash and burn on the streets of Smithtown while learning a lesson that he had no business at all on any kind of vehicle without an airbag.
My Dad never attended a college class, but he was wise when it came to the foolishness of his sons.  More than once, after I whined, complained, begged, and promised, Dad had said (with an appropriate eye-roll), go ahead…do what you want…just don’t complain about it later!
I can see Paul’s eyes rolling as he gives us a peek behind the closed door to what God’s game plan looks like for his foolish children, when, in mock surrender the Father lets his sinful creatures have their way.  It looks like:
All of our declarations of loving God and being His children mock the truth when we exchange His ways for ours.  This is applied evenly and undeniably to all forms of sin, lying, stealing, pride, anger, and the whole menu of sexual dementia – lust, infidelity, homosexuality, and a growing list of ways to defile our relationship with God.
To complain we were born that way, whether it pretends to an excuse for a quick triggered temper, or a sexual preference that isn’t in line with God’s created order, is inexcusable, simply because God has placed in our hearts the knowledge that sin is first-degree thumbing our noses at God’s way.
And the only remedy for it all is repentance, turning back in God’s direction.

For You Today

You might be like the teenage Russell who, against Dad’s pretty clear instructions, ran that motorcycle off the hill in the woods at the end of our road.  I learned from that mild crash and walked-away from the crumpled mess…back home to tell Dad he was right!
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
NOTES

[i] Title Image: Pixabay.com
[ii] Images at Pixabay.com and Here and Here and Here

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