Revelation 2:14-16
“But why do you indulge that Balaam crowd? Don’t you remember that Balaam was an enemy agent, seducing Balak and sabotaging Israel’s holy pilgrimage by throwing unholy parties? And why do you put up with the Nicolaitans, who do the same thing?
“Enough! Don’t give in to them; I’ll be with you soon. I’m fed up and about to cut them to pieces with my sword-sharp words.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Most of us have heard stories about – or actually know of - a teenager who attended a party where there was under-age drinking and other activities that should not have been happening. When this activity was discovered, the teen said, “But I wasn’t doing it!” While the kid felt this exonerated his/her presence…it really was no excuse. Or maybe you know of a child who broke a window because he/she was throwing rocks…or started a fire when a pack of matches was discovered…or had some sort of accident because friends dared him/her to do something crazy…but they were just “in the wrong place at the wrong time”. It really wasn’t their fault.
There is a fine line between tolerance and poor judgment. I would guess that virtually every single one of us has been in a situation or circumstance where we said, “I shouldn’t be here.” Or maybe we sensed that something did not feel “right”…yet we couldn’t seem to drag ourselves away. Some would argue that they were there to “help a buddy” – or even to “witness” to those in the wrong. But these lines of reasoning won’t hold up very well in most cases.
In this passage, God is using John to tell the people of Smyrna that they have been hanging out with the wrong crowd…and He has just about had enough of it. They have been dabbling in things they know they shouldn’t…and teetering on the brink of disaster. And this message applies to many of us today just as well. We’re dancing on the edge…testing the waters…trying to “have our cake and eat it, too”…and God is not amused.
I honestly don’t think man people grasp how terribly we grieve God on many occasions. We don’t often stop to consider that the One who loves us beyond description has feelings, too. And we break His heart over and again on a regular basis– if not every single day. But we can change…and don’t you want to?! Don’t you want to honor God for all that He has done for you? Don’t you want to live in a manner that says, “I am so very grateful for your love, grace, mercy and patience.”?
Isn’t it time we started living with more purpose…with deliberate thought and consideration for our words and actions? If we really love God, shouldn’t we stop and consider what HE would think before we say and do many of the things we do without any consideration? Will this be the day that you begin to “let go and let God” in EVERY area of your life? Or will you continue to hope that your “excuses” are good enough to merit a “pass”?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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