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.
Romans 1:20-22 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.1.20-22.NLT
How many will claim with their mouths that they know God? How many of these same people will not worship Him or give thanks to Him? And I’m not just talking about showing up to a church service once a week or saying a memorized set of words before eating a meal – those actions can be empty and devoid of any true worship or praise. I’m talking about worship and praise – recognizing and demonstrating to God with a heartfelt reaction that we love Him and that He alone is worthy of our attention, our drive, our focus.
But if it stops being about a heartfelt devotion to our Almighty Father, and it devolves into mental practice and trickery and manipulation – don’t our foolish minds that try to box God into something within the bounds of our finite imagination leave us with something imperfect, something confused, something twisted and perverted and lesser than the one true God? One we start falling into the pride of thinking that we’ve “got this God thing figured out” – doesn’t that prideful notion always precede a fall?
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 1:24-25 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.1.24-25.NLT
And doesn’t God love us enough to give us what we desire? If He continues to extend to us His loving hand, hoping for restored relationship – but we instead prefer the things of this world, or prefer the absence from His presence, or prefer the wickedness and perversions of the enemy of man – isn’t it clear that He is there ready for our return today, but one day the door will be closed? Are you satisfied one day being the one that God abandoned to your desires to chase your sinful and sensual and worldly cravings right into the pit of eternal flames?
Seek the Lord while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord
that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God,
for he will forgive generously.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord .
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out,
and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
Where once there were thorns,
cypress trees will grow.
Where nettles grew,
myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the Lord ’s name;
they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
Isaiah 55:6-13 NLT
http://bible.com/116/isa.55.6-13.NLT
Excuses? Or a life of praise and worship? Have you chosen today?
Whether or not you admit to making a choice, your life will testify to your true decision. You heart is what will be weighed.
Proverbs 21:2 ESV
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.
Proverbs 16:2 NLT
People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.
Harold J. Ballinger 