Daily Devotionals by Thoughts about God Posts

Published April 10, 2008

Can’t or Don’t Want to?

By Alec Niemi
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Working with people with an addiction can be hard at times. One such person told me if there was no change in the next thirty days, suicide would be the only answer. However, in the same breath said, “I don’t want to die.” This individual wanted help, yet wanted to keep up with the addiction. This person acknowledged Jesus as Savior but would not submit to His Lordship, saying, “I can beat this by myself.” This has proven to be wrong time after time and the person knows it. And we will continue trying to help…

Gambling, alcohol, drugs (prescribed or otherwise), and pornography are the addictions we most often hear of. But what about work, computers, TV and food? Anything that becomes a ‘must have’ in our lives to the detriment of self and/or others is an addiction. Anything that becomes a ‘must have’ in our lives to the detriment of our relationship with the Lord must be dealt with.

My prayer for you this week:

“I pray that you are seeking good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Amen.”
Amos 5:14

You can share your comments online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2008/04/10/an_want-to/

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Alec Niemi, an entrepreneur, lifestyle evangelist and pastor is passionate about helping people find Christ.  He lives in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

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Published April 9, 2008

Every Knee Shall Bow

by Max Lucado
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“. . . whoever believes in him shall not perish . . ”
John 3:16

How could a loving God send sinners to hell? He doesn’t. They volunteer.

Once there, they don’t want to leave. The hearts of damned fools never soften; their minds never change. Men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelations 16:9 NKJV). Contrary to the idea that hell prompts remorse, it doesn’t. It intensifies blasphemy.

Remember the rich man in torment? He could see heaven but didn’t request a transfer. He wanted Lazarus to descend to him. Why not ask if he could join Lazarus? The rich man complained of thirst, not of injustice. He wanted water for the body, not water for the soul. Even the longing for God is a gift from God, and where there is no more of God’s goodness, there is no longing for him. Though every knee shall bow before God and every tongue confess his preeminence (Romans 14:11), the hard-hearted will do so stubbornly and without worship. There will be no atheists in hell (Philippians 2:10-11), but there will be no God-seekers either.

But still we wonder, is the punishment fair? Such a penalty seems inconsistent with a God of love, overkill. A sinner’s rebellion doesn’t warrant an eternity of suffering, does it?

Isn’t God overreacting?

Who are we to challenge God?

Only he knows the full story, the number of invitations the stubborn-hearted have refused and the slander they’ve spewed.

Accuse God of unfairness? He has wrapped caution tape on hell’s porch and posted a million and one red flags outside the entrance. To descend its stairs, you’d have to cover your ears, blindfold your eyes, and, most of all, ignore the epic sacrifice of history: Christ, in God’s hell on humanity’s cross, crying out to the blackened sky, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

The supreme surprise of hell is this: Christ went there so you won’t have to.

Share your comments online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2008/04/09/ml_knee-shall-bow/

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Max Lucado
From: 3:16, The Numbers of Hope Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2007) Max Lucado  Used by permission
To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
http://www.maxlucado.com/about/
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