Doing Evil

by

1 Kings 15:26 Whose Ways Do You Follow?

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit. 1 Kings 15:26

Everyone learns from someone. What they learn is determined by who they learn it from. Usually, one of the greatest influences on a person’s life is the father. Unless an outside influence affects them, sons will very often grow up with a lot of the same characteristics of their father, whether good or bad, right or wrong and whether they really want it or not.

When Jeroboam died, his son, Nadab, became king of Judah. He did the same evil in the eyes of the Lord as Jeroboam had done and caused Israel to commit sin.

As the physical father and other people can have a great influence in the life of person, it does not need to be this way. The world will only follow what it can see and understand, often this leads into sin and greater sin. The earthly fathers are sinners and may not be following God with all of their heart or none of their heart at all.

Once a person becomes a believer and a follower of Jesus, he must focus on following God with all of his heart, mind, soul and strength. God should be the greatest influence in one’s life that rises above everyone and everything else in this fallen world. The earthly father may have some good characteristics but may still lead down the wrong pathway.

God the ultimate best Father will lead in a way that leads to life, eternal life. There will never be a leading into sin and death. Believers must follow God’s ways above any other person’s ways, even the physical father, to be kept from living in sinful ways.

Your physical father may have had a great influence on you or may not have, just as someone else may have had influence upon you. Do not allow those influences to pull you away from God and His ways of living.

Put all of your focus and trust in God, not in the things, people and ways of this world. Learn His ways of living, because they are perfect and will lead to eternal life, not death.

Without God’s Spirit leading you, you will turn to sin and evil, bringing about death.

Whose ways are you following?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will follow the ways of God with all of your life; that you will know how God wants you to live your life; that you will allow God’s Spirit to guide you in life; and that you will live a holy and righteous life before God and man.

by

Judges 4:1 Returning To Evil

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. Judges 4:1

Having a good leader that people will follow will cause them to continue to do the right thing. Good leaders will keep others focused on the right path to walk.

Without a good leader, people will choose to do their own thing or follow just anyone. The sense of doing the right thing is often cast out or ignored. Everything becomes about what is pleasing in the moment, rather than do what is right.

After Ehud had saved the Israelites from captivity and he died, the Israelites quickly rejected God and did evil…again.

The heart of man is wicked and continues to seek wickedness as long as there is nothing pushing to focus upon God and good. Hearts will turn to evil without any motivation to turn to God and His ways of living.

It is very common for many believers to talk about worshipping and serving God when in a church setting, but almost immediately upon leaving the setting, they turn back to sin and evil. When in the private of their own home, there is no one there to lead them or keep them focused upon God. Self-pleasure rises up and the temptation to sin takes control.

Not every believer has someone who can stay with them all the time to help them stay focused upon God, but every believer does have the Holy Spirit to do that work. The Holy Spirit will guide the believer to stay focused on living for God.

However, the believer must not ignore the Holy Spirit’s direction and choose to do evil. Since the heart of man is deceitful, it only takes a moment to slip back into sin. The focus and listening to the Holy Spirit must be continual, non-stop.

The world and Satan are out to get you to ignore God and do what is evil and sinful in the eyes of God. Your heart is wicked and can easily slip back into sin and rejection of God.

Surround yourself with other believers who will lead you towards living for God and hold you accountable. Listen to and obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life to turn away and reject all sin and temptations to sin. Do not allow sin and evil to reign in or control your life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will keep your eyes focused upon obeying God’s commands; that you will listen to and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life; that God will place people in your life to keep you focused upon Him; and that God will give you strength to reject evil and sinful temptations that will come against you.

by

Isaiah 66:4 Making The Wrong Choice

Phone on wall

so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me. Isaiah 66:4

No one likes it when they call upon someone and the person refuses to answer. People expect others to answer when they are called or at least return the call within a short reasonable time. To completely ignore the call is to reject the person calling.

No one likes it when the one they are an authority over refuses to obey. People expect to be obeyed when they are an authority. Parents get frustrated when their children refuse to obey their commands.

God is frustrated with the people of Israel because He had been calling on them and none of them would answer. On top of refusal to listen, they would also do evil, the opposite of what God would want them to do.

Every day God is still calling people. There is the calling to become a follower of Jesus, but there is also the calling to do His will, to live for Him. He loves to talk to His people and let them know what He is thinking and wants them to do.

In fact, when Jesus left the earth, He sent back the Holy Spirit to communicate with His people. He wanted them to be able to know what He desired and give them strength to do it. Yet, many have rejected God’s speaking and refused to do what He has called them to do–be holy.

There are many in the church who are living in open sin, refusing to change and obey God. Often they don’t think anything is wrong while they are sinning. As this happens, it only leaves God one choice–punishment to come. Yet, the believer can change and begin to obey God and follow Him.

God is speaking you today also. Are you listening to Him and obeying Him? Or are you continuing to do your own thing?

Each day you get up you have a choice to make. You can either listen to God and obey Him,  or you can refuse to listen and disobey by living in sin.

Make the choice to listen to what God is saying and then obey Him. God knows what is best for you each day. Make the choice to please God with your obedience.

I pray today that you will hear God’s voice in your life; that you will make the choice to obey God; that you will choose to turn away from sinful ways; and that you will know God’s will for your life.