HE GAVE THEM UP

MEMORY VERSE: But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Psalm 81:11-12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Proverbs 28

BIBLE READING: Psalm 81:8-12

One way God demonstrates His love to us (His children) is by chastening us when we do something wrong or go off the line. Proverbs 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” So if the Lord has ever rebuked you over a matter maybe through a sermon or a post you read on internet, don’t get angry at the pastor or the author of the post. Rejoice because He only rebukes those He loves. He did that because He does not want you to perish. You must not take the Lord’s rebuke for granted. As such, repent immediately He rebukes you. Revelations 3:19 says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” One of the ways God rebukes us, His children, is through our conscience. For instance, if you record your time of arrival at work as 07:20am when you actually arrived at 07:52am, your conscience will prick you. Saul had been chasing David, to kill him, for ages unsuccessfully. One day, God put Saul in his hand to test him – to see whether he would touch the Lord’s anointed. David found King Saul fast asleep in a cave (1 Samuel 24:1-8). He walked to him as gently as possible and cut off the tip of King Saul’s robe just to show the king later that he had the opportunity to kill him but he didn’t. Immediately, the Lord rebuked him for that. 1 Samuel 24:5 says, “And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.”

If your conscience convicts you when you do something wrong, it is a sign of God’s love. Remember to thank Him for that love. However, if you lie and you don’t feel anything – your conscience does not prick you – it could be a sign that you are no longer His child. Worse is if you suddenly begin to feel like fornicating or committing adultery, friend if i were you I will run to God and ask why He hates me that much? The reason being that the bible says “the mouth of a strange women is a deep pit and only those God hates will fall into it (Proverbs 22:14)". In other words, when a man’s cup is full before God and He wants to finish such men off, He will allow them to commit adultery or fornication so that they can perish completely. When God begins to rebuke a man over certain things and the fellow refuses to repent and change, the Lord will leave the fellow alone to continue doing what will destroy him. In other words, the Lord will give up on the fellow and say “do as you please”. After several warnings, the people of Ephraim refused to change so the Lord gave up on them. Hosea 4:17 says, “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” God literally said “I give up on Ephraim; i will no longer send any prophets to warn them again.” This is why you can no longer delay the day of your salvation if you have not given your life to Christ. This is why you can no longer delay the day you of your repentance if you are yet to repent of certain things. Several times the Lord warned the people of Israel but they refused to repent and change.  Psalm 81:11-12 says, “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.” At the end they entered into captivity. Proverbs 29:1 says, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Friend, as the Lord being urging you to repent and you are postponing it? This may be your last warning. Have you been stealing from the offering basket? This may be your last warning. Have you been fornicating secretly and going up to minister on the altar of God? Repent because this may be your last warning.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my eyes to see areas where you want me to repent today.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world