22/12/2012 - The subtleness of the evil man

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Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance; and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

II Chronicles 18: 1; 2

Be very careful with the evil man because he knows exactly what to do to achieve his targets and those who aren’t standing firm in The Rock might fall for his deceitful words. This man has no other purpose apart from satisfying his own desires and he’s not worried about other people’s suffering. Therefore, it’s utterly important for you to stay away from him and from his venomous words considering that – the moment you lack the fear of God in your heart – he’ll certainly fool you.

Although Jehoshaphat was a man of God he fell for Ahab’s treachery which almost caused him to die and, later on, his firstborn son was on the verge of being doomed. Only the fact of our paying notice to the empty and ungodly talk of those people who feel no delight in The Lord demonstrates that we’re already in their hands. The ungodly have no mercy upon nobody and when someone become useless for the evil man –- he’ll ruthlessly drop them.

We don’t know if the riches and glory were responsible for causing Jehoshaphat to become related to Ahab. Well, we need to separate what comes from The Lord from what doesn’t. Many people are making wrong decisions because they tend to draw their interest to those material riches the ungodly have to offer. Those who serve God must walk according to what The Word states. The servants of The Most High must never cherish any of their own desires but they must rather fulfil the divine will.

Ahab’s final coup was perpetrated with the feast he celebrated in Joshaphat’s honour and to those who made him company then. Even today the devil uses this sort of means to lure those who aren’t standing firm in The Word. Watch out! Don’t fall for the silly talk of those who don’t love our Heavenly Father considering that if they don’t love The One who really deserves to be loved would he really be fond of you in any way? The gifts given by those who don’t serve God have the capacity of blinding the understanding of those people who trust in Him.

Bearing that in mind the best thing to do is being always in communion with The Lord and not allowing oneself to be carried away by the festivities skilfully organised by the ungodly to get our approval on their wrongdoing. Those events are like investments made by the people who disregard our God in order to achieve their targets. Our feasts are always to be like the biblical ones. They have to be feast for the blind, the mute, the deaf and the lame, people who have no means to pay us back.

Those who said “yes” to Jesus mustn’t accept any proposal coming from the people who don’t love Him because it will eventually turn out to be a snare for them. What can the world offer to someone who’s already familiar with the true joy? On the other hand, Christians are the ones who have a lot to give to the lost and for us to do it we, children of God, need to stand firm in faith and never consider sin pleasant.

Only those who persevere to the end will be saved (Matthew 24: 13). Thriving – experiencing success – doesn’t mean that one is walking in the true way; therefore, you must watch out and live a life of prayer to avoid falling into temptation.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares