Don’t Take God For Granted

Walking daily in uninterrupted victories as a child of God is exhilarating. This should embolden us to do more and go more for the Kingdom of God. At the same time, it is a time one must tread carefully because: “…whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall” (1Corinthians 10:12). A person that is careless in his/her stand can be tempted to think that the experience of uninterrupted victories is the result of having a much more closer relationship than anyone else with God or one is just plain perfect and cannot go wrong. This thought is erroneous and leads the person on a dangerous path of self-destruction. Throughout Scriptures, people that took God for granted got their fingers burnt: “Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come” (1Corinthians 10:11). Being a born again child of God is not a status that excuses us from the consequences of wrong doing or an instrument to blackmail God with. Thus, it is very sad when wonderful children of God take decisions that put them at odds with God and then erroneously think He will excuse their treachery. A typical example of this is lying! No matter your status in the Body of Christ, when you lie, you have stopped speaking the language of God but that of the devil and it is a sin before God! It is terrible self delusion to think that such sins will not count because we have been forgiven over 2000 years ago on the Cross thus we believe we are at liberty to live as we please! Friend, the nature of man is to go against his Creator, that is why we were counseled: “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1); and Christ equally told us to follow Him on a daily basis. This means we must be alert to the path we toe so as not to veer from the true path, which is Christ’s. 

King Josiah of Judah made a terrible mistake when he went against king Neco of Egypt. King Josiah was a promised child and a great instrument in the hand of God against the idolatries of the land. He loved the Lord; he was consistent and committed in establishing the true worship of God in the land. The Bible recorded that he repaired the Temple that was neglected and destroyed by his father and grandfather; he restored and observed the Passover celebration like no king before or after him. The Bible equally recorded concerning him: “Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his mind and with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him” (2Kings 23:25). For his service and devotion, the Lord sent this word to him: “I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace…” (2Chronicles 34:28a). Unfortunately, he went into a battle he had no business being despite the fact that he was told by king Neco of Egypt: “What is the issue between you and me, king of Judah? I have not come against you today but to the dynasty I am fighting. God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God who is with me, don’t make Him destroy you. But Josiah did not turn away from him; instead, in order to fight with him he disguised himself…” (2Chronicles 35:21-22a). He went into a battle he should not have gone, in disguise, which in itself was a lie; maybe if he had asked the Lord, he would have been told if the instructions related by king Neco were true or false. He was presumptuous to think that God speaks only to the children of Israel. For that presumptuous sin he went to his grave untimely and violently! Friend, what are the instructions you have read or learnt expressly from God that you are contravening? On that Day, it is not going to be about how long you have served Him but how well. As we see the Day draw near, we must look into the perfect Word of God and make adjustments accordingly as there will be no free pass on that Day! Friend, sin is sin! Don’t be tempted to take God for granted by thinking your walk with God will exempt you from the consequences of your actions. The grace to walk truthfully and faithfully before Him is released to you in Jesus Christ name. God bless you.