15/06/2012 - THE CAUSE OF MISFORTUNE

• 
• 
• 
• 

For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

Isaiah 57:17

Covetousness is a sin you must never commit. The greedy is a person who revolts against the commandments of the Lord because he does not rely on the divine statements and, therefore, he wants more than he has already been given. Nobody needs one more inch beyond what has been provided to them by God, but the spirit of deception is working hard to get people out of the heavenly realm.

That is what happened to the Israelites: they yielded to covetousness, which caused God to be upset with them. Moreover, because of this error they were taken away from the Almighty’s presence. The same will happen to us if we long for more than He gives us. He who is not satisfied with what the Father gives him starts to crave the things his tarnished heart wants and as result will be excluded from the divine protection.

Do not ever let the Lord be angry with you. If this occurs, He will no longer be able to protect you and you will be vulnerable to the onslaughts of the evil one. Many people are deceiving themselves because they go to church, sing songs of praise, hear the preaching, give tithes and offerings, but because of their greed they end up being struck by the One who should protect them.

What an irony! The One who should protect the Israelites declares that He struck them. In other words, the Almighty allowed the people to be struck and because the authorization was given by Him, He takes full responsibility for the scourge inflicted on the rebels. God\’s heart was crushed with the fate of the Israelites! And when He has to allow something bad to happen to you, He is grieved. However, the blame is only on the ones who yield to greed.

The Lord shall not strive forever with those who are determined to possess what they have not been given. If you are stubborn following your evil ways, He hides from you. Then you cry out for divine help, but cannot find the One who promised to save your life. The person who is in error is making a huge mistake. God can only be with whom is faithful in serving Him.

If there is someone who should never get angry with you it is the Almighty. But if it happens, it means you will pay a high price for your sin. God is the One who watches over our lives day and night, but when we hold on firmly to the iniquity of our covetousness, the Lord has to hide Himself and when that happens, suffering comes.

Despite their suffering, many people prefer to follow the ways of their heart. However, bear in mind that those who harbor sin will never be successful in their deeds, for God can only help those who do not depart from His Word.

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares