We were made to worship. And we all worship something. When we refuse to worship the One true God and acknowledge His authority, we simply create false religions that allow us to appease our consciences while we continue to live life our own way. But false religions never take us anywhere good. They simply take us farther and farther from God.
Ahaz was one of Judah’s wicked kings. Can you imagine a king so evil he would sacrifice his own children in the name of his false religion? Yet, instead of repenting when God brought judgment, he turned to other ungodly people for help.
And sadly, the people of Judah as a whole became increasingly unfaithful until God in His perfect judgment allowed their destruction.
Our nation, too, seems determined to go down the road of increasing unfaithfulness. We shouldn’t think that if God judged His own covenant people, He won’t judge us as a nation, as well. The question is, will we heed the voice of godly people or continue in our unfaithfulness and false religions.
Believing lies about anything can lead to problems but believing lies about your spiritual life and eternity can be downright dangerous. Yet, rarely do we think we are vulnerable to such lies. That’s part of the danger. Lies and those who promote them can be so appealing. But since our eternal destiny is at stake, how can we be sure we aren’t believing lies?
False religion and prosperity can both have an intoxicating effect on men and women.
In its extreme, false religion enables people to become suicide bombers, terrorists, and even radical defenders of abortion or gay rights. But there are other forms of false religion that can be just as dangerous to us personally.
Prosperity, on the other hand, can lull people into a materialistic stupor that renders them blind to what’s really important.
Also …
When we experience sorrow over sin, is it worldly sorrow or godly sorrow? This is important to understand because one leads to life and the other to death. And, finally, what do we have in common with lions, greyhounds, goats, and kings?
In today’s post … we’ll talk about those times when you feel worn down and discouraged by your circumstances. Maybe you’re exhausted from dealing with a strong-willed child, a difficult marriage, or some other family issue. Maybe you have suffered a devastating loss over the past year and the holidays were especially difficult. You may have lost a job or had some other financial setback. Or maybe you’re worried about rising costs or a medical diagnosis.
You may be so discouraged you’re tempted to give up altogether. How do you keep going when life seems so full of challenges?
