God Always Stands Ready to Receive Us!

"Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."   -C.S. Lewis

Have you ever been in a situation where you have tried to help someone and they just continued to reject your help? Or, take what you want to be help and instead use it to enable them for further destructive behavior?

Maybe a friend, or family member has had a problem with alcohol or drugs. You have covered for them and sat down with them to help them overcome this problem, but they continue to do the same thing. Yet, they continue to expect your “help” in avoiding the consequences.

Maybe you have a friend, or family member that had massive amounts of debt. You have helped them to get out of it, and sat down to get them on a budget they can sustain, but then they return to racking up the credit card debt again, living outside of what they can afford. Then, they come to you again and expect you to help them, if you love them.

At some point, as we have tried to help people as they continue to reject the help we offer, or use our help to enable their behavior, we are no longer helping them. We need to let them deal with the consequences of the lifestyle they are choosing.

This doesn't mean we stop loving, or caring about them. In fact, it usually means we care for them greatly to no longer enable their destructive behavior. We stop enabling them in hopes that they will hit a bottom and realize that the course they are following has got to change, or it will continue to bring destruction.

Now, as God has revealed Himself to man, and man rejects Him, or replaces Him with false gods and lives godlessly and wickedly; God usually “gives them over” to their sinful lifestyle. But giving them over does not mean that God gives up on them. God stands ready to forgive and receive into His family those who repent and turn from their wickedness.

God’s wrath is against the godlessness and wickedness that is rampant in a society that rejects and replaces the true, personal and holy God, with either no god or false gods. The reality is that men who do not believe in God, or replace Him with false gods, have no excuse for not believing. God has faithfully made Himself known to all men through creation and our conscience. 

And as men continue to reject God, it will lead to God letting them walk down the path they are choosing. When we begin to reject God, or reject His truth as revealed in his word, we begin to rationalize sinful behavior because we believe the lie that life is about us and our pleasures.“God loves me and wants me to enjoy life, doesn't He? Why would he want to deny me the pleasures of sex, drugs, or alcohol?” God wants me to be happy, doesn't He?

When we start to rationalize away the truths of God’s word and follow our immoral passions and behaviors, we are harming ourselves in ways that will leave long term scars and effects in our lives. But, the Lord offers us opportunity to repent, to turn from these ways and receive His forgiveness. 

When we come to the point of realizing our sin, and the destructive lifestyles we choose, and repent, our gracious and merciful heavenly Father, is willing to forgive us. And it is through the gospel, through the sacrifice that has been made for us, the power to overcome these sins, and addictions and perversions, becomes available. It is not easy nor does it happen overnight.

But just as the father of the prodigal son stood waiting for his son, our heavenly Father stands ready to receive us as we repent.

It is by His mercy and grace that we can recover; and find hope and joy through a relationship with the Lord.

Scripture: 1 John 1:9; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Hebrews 10:26; Romans 6:23; Mark 16:16; Luke 13:3; Ephesians 2:8 ESV

Let's pray...

Father, in the Name of Jesus, I realize that as a believer, my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. My acknowledgment of His presence on a daily basis makes my faith in Him effectual. I believe that You, heavenly Father, are leading me and guiding me by the Holy Spirit through my spirit and illuminating my mind. Amen

God loves you! 

Jerri