28/02/2014 - THE LORD SHOWS HIMSELF SHREWD

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With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. 2 Samuel 22.27

One of the most important things in life is to have a pure heart, mind and thoughts. There’s no doubt that the Lord will always free you from temptations when you have no contact whatsoever with the enemy and practice the Truth sincerely. If you don’t act this way, you won’t have the Father as your friend, your doctor and the supplier of all your needs.

Those who cover their mistakes and lie don’t understand that their attitudes stop the Lord from acting on their behalf. Even though He is our Father, and He is always ready to forgive, He can’t help us if we have the wrong attitude. When Jesus found a man in great need next to the Pool of Bethesda, He didn’t just heal the man, but He also instructed him not to sin anymore (John 5).

It is part of our sinful nature to not confess our sins. Instead of thinking before we act, we sin and later on look for excuses to justify our mistakes – when we can’t find the excuses, we make up some lie. This is what happened to Adam, our first father, who blamed Eve, and Eve passed on the responsibility to the serpent. If you have been deceived by temptations, free yourself from the heavy burden that’s upon your shoulders.

If Gehazi, Elisha’s assistant, hadn’t lied to him, but confessed his sins and repented, he’d probably not end up with Naaman’s leprosy (2 Kings 5:20-27). When Naatan warned David that he was responsible for taking the poor man’s lamb, the king confessed his sin right away (2 Sm. 12:1-13). However, those who have a sinful heart prefer to lie, and because of that, the Lord shows Himself shrewd to them.

Today, God uses His servants to warn those who are walking in the wrong direction, just as He used John the Baptist. John warned king Herod that he wasn’t allowed to take his brother’s wife; the king had several opportunities to repent from his mistake, but the beauty of that woman seduced him. One day he made a promise to his lover’s daughter, and killed John the Baptist (Mt. 14:1-11).

This proves that those who hide their mistakes are in the hands of the enemy, and can be used by the demon to cause prejudice to others and to themselves. The Lord ordains to these people, who don’t love Him, to get rid of their adversary while on their way to him (Lk. 12:58).

Wouldn’t it be easier to chase whoever caused you trouble and tell them the truth? Why let the devil have you in his hands if you can be free? If you died today, what would be your destiny? If you were tempted, you are not guilty; but if you sinned, if you did something wrong without confessing, then you won’t be free from condemnation.

In Christ, with love

R. R. Soares