Random Thoughts While Watching Through The Night
Here I am – past 1:30 in the morning – wondering why people prefer to believe the lie than to live in the light and truth. It is easy to dwell on the enemy’s strategies to deceive and his cunning in dragging people to destruction. Many people know satan and preach about him far better than they know God and preach about HIM.
Me? I’d rather think on the Father and His Love, Grace, Mercy and Faithfulness. Earlier this week I was reminded of the old hymn that says: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim – in the light of His glory and grace.” Those words are true. If we but look upon the face of our Lord and Savior we have no reason to focus upon the deceptions of the enemy.
The apostle John wrote: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” (I John 1:5-7 NIV) Seeking light makes sense. It helps us to avoid the pitfalls and to stay clean from the muck that lines life’s roadways.
So, my friend, do you seek the light? Do you walk in the light? Do you allow His Light to shine away the shadows within? If you DO – you can have true fellowship with God’s people. Not only that – you can be cleansed from all sin. Just imagine that, no longer being bound by the chains of sin but living free in God’s perfect will.
For the past few days we’ve been working with a person who claims to want to live in the light – but they cling tenaciously to the shadows of their former life. It is within their grasp to have freedom and liberty in Jesus the Christ – but they cling stubbornly to the chains of sin and wallow in the dark shadows. This is frustrating – to say the least. But one can only do so much. One thing I’ve learned in life and that is that we can not make decisions for others. We can sound the trumpet call of warning, but it is up to the individual to listen and take heed.
And since it’s after 2:00 in the morning and I’m rambling on I’ll take this wild tangent. 
Ezekiel wrote these words: ” Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for [a] his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.” (Ezekiel 3:17-19 NIV) To me, anyway, it’s interesting that the Lord didn’t say, “Prevent the wicked man from being wicked.” The Lord said, “When I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die”, and you do not WARN him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.” (emphasis added) Even to this day the Lord doesn’t expect us to save people from themselves. He DOES, however, expect us to let folks know what their foolish and evil ways will bring about – their destruction. But we aren’t called to save folks from themselves.
Later today I will probably face the unpleasant task of telling a wicked man that he is headed for destruction. This is not an easy thing to do. Every cell of my body cries out, “Save him from himself!!” – but I CAN’T save him. Only Jesus the Christ can save him – and only if he allows the Savior to do so. And so I am seeking words – praying to God to give me words of love and compassion while I fulfill my duty to warn him of what will follow if he does not turn back from his path of destruction. My prayer is that he will indeed heed the warning and turn back to his Creator who can heal him and cleanse him of all sin – if he will but turn to Him.
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