THE HEART OF GOD
Thursday, August 04, 2005
I love this picture! It makes me think of how God's heart must break when he sees our world and some of the choices we make.
He loves us so much and has chosen to give us a freewill to choose our way and a choice to follow or not to follow Him. We have His word and still we try to justify sin. If He said it is wrong, it is wrong! It doesn't matter what we think, it matters that He knows better than we do and He gave us a standard to live by because He does love us and He can see the bigger picture. He says NO to protect us, not to keep us from having fun.
Last night I was talking with this girl. She was telling me she has a hard time believing in a God who would allow things to go on in the world, such as child abuse, murder, rape, etc. I proceeded to explain to her that man has a freewill. I also explained He is a just God, He loves us and shows us mercy but we also will each stand before Him and give an account of our lives. I went on to show her that God has done all He is going to do at the cross. We are not puppets, we have a choice to live the way He has laid out for us to live or we can choose to live as we please.
This girl has a drug problem. I explained, no one twists your arm and makes you smoke weed, no one makes you take pills, no one makes you drink. We do what we do because we choose to do it, knowing all the while whether our choices are right or wrong." I went on to explain to her, that sin demands a payment. There is a penalty for sin and Christ paid that penalty at the cross but God is not going to force us to accept that payment, but sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.
It seems many people hear the truth, but they want the best of both worlds, they want to sin all they want, they want the pleasures of this life more than the life Christ has for us, the Abundant life. This girl is so miserable and she knows it, but she forgets how bad it is and remembers only the fleeting pleasures of sin. I just pray God will open her eyes so she can see what it is that He would have her see and open her ears so she will hear what He wants her to hear.
I guess I am tired of people blaming God instead of taking individual responsibility for their actions. I mean if you are weak, admit it, if you struggle admit it. God will meet you where you are at. He picked me up out of the septic system of life, put me up on the Rock and cleaned me up and I have served Him ever since that day. Have I at times walked around the septic system, YES, did I get the stink on me, YES, but did I jump back in and put a sign up that says Dana's residence? No way!
Well, I will get off my soapbox now, guess I am just wondering how God can be so patient with us. Thank goodness for His mercy and grace!!
posted by Live, Love, Laugh | 10:52 PM
12 Comments:
Twice this morning I have read a post by someone who gets it! Good work!
God gives us freedom and holds us responsible for freedom's choices. But not done unfairly...He has already told us which choice is best.
Wonderful post!!! And so true. God can show us the right way, but not all choose to take it. I cannot stand when people say "why would God allow this?"...He isn't "allowing" anything; He has told us what is right and what is wrong. We are hurting Him by doing the things WE CHOOSE to do. His heart hurts to see us making these wrong decisions. I pray that all will see His love, and will choose to bask in His wonderful light.
~Julie
wow...good post...so glad you stopped by my blog so I could come back and find this wonderful one! I will be back.
Amen .... thank goodness for His mercy and grace!! I have never understood the logic of someone who will tell you how devoted they were - since childhood - and in the next breath tell you that they don't believe in God anymore .... because of human nature, an event that is part of life or because He didn't do what they wanted.
It leave me speechless.
I understand that it's comfortable to stay in sin. You can be comfortable in a bad situation because it's all you've ever known, but if you don't get out of your "comfort zone" and reach out for something better, you will not experience true peace, joy and love. Before I was saved, I thought I wasn't worthy of God's grace, and I was right...I'm not worthy, but that's why it's called grace...it's undeserved, but it's God's gift to the imperfect. And no one is perfect except Him...so we're all eligible to receive this gift. Now that's some good news!
Amen Dana...Amen.
People make choices. You choose to follow and believe or you don't.
We live in a man made world, not a God made world. I hope you know what I mean by that.
I have that picture too. LOL May I use it on my site too? LOL God Bless You.
Amen JOE!
God is our father and gives us choices.
Our parents have to let us experience some things for ourselves so we can really learn and understand. If a parent jumps on their child for each thing they do because they are trying to protect them the eventually the child will grow to hate his parents. But if the parent is patient and explain the reason for things and the child ends up doing the wrong thing then he will learn and important lesson and also realize how much the parent loves them.
I hope that made sense.
I like the picture at the top of your site? How did you do that? (I'm just learning.)
A year ago I got finished losing about 65-70 pounds which the Lord has enable me to keep off. I had been trying for a lot of years but, of course I couldn't make much head way.
Food, drugs, alcohol, bad choices -we are fully responsible, but sometimes it happens, "I've fallen and I can't get up!"
When I was obese, I recall eating inappropriately, knowing I was sinning at that very moment, crying to God in repentence but still putting food in my mouth inappropriately. How pathetic and weak I am! But in Christ I can do all things. Our flesh can overtake us. "Pray that you may not enter into tempation, for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."
I remember reading a verse that said, "if you repent, I will restore you," and I've thought of it often, because God has restored me, but it wasn't overnight, but took time, patience, begging God to help me, and fasting, and He did it.
So, I liked your posting. It is true. Thank God His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!
Joe, it's so great to know there are others out there who understand individual responsibility!
Bonnie, sure you can use this pic on your site!
Taking responsibility for one's own actions. What a concept. ;)
People ask why God would allow such things to happen. Stop and think about it. If you or I got in our head that we wanted to strap on a homemade bomb, walk into the nearest shopping mall, and click the detonate button, there's nothing stopping us from doing so. That's free will, exercising our option to do the right or wrong thing.
Don't blame God when something bad happens. Blame the people who turn their back on God.
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