My Wal-Mart receipt said if I took a simple email survey that I would be entered to win one of five $1000 gift cards. Why not? Somebody’s going to win, so I might as well have my name in the pot. No sooner than hitting send, the phone rang with a representative wanting to enroll me in college. I checked my email and was welcomed by three different businesses thanking me for subscribing to their newsletters. I frantically started to ‘unsubmit’ myself from subscriptions I hadn’t ordered. I think this is the same kind of tactic Satan might use. He dangles one little forbidden fruit in front of us and we bite before we understand all the consequences.
1 comment:
Gail;
-----The big carrot was accepted before the first child was born. God gave our lives a place of security and plenty. Everything would have been held in order by Him. Work would have been easy, enjoyable, and perfectly rewarded by benefit. Relationships would have been naturally encouraging and inspirational; never would they have been dull or negative in any way. And our hearts and minds would have always been occupied with good and right ideas and feelings. Perspectives would have included everyone’s well being; ambitions would have included community objectives; and the culmination of our plans would have nourished a system serving plenty for all without even the slightest insufficiency, inefficiency, or danger. God would have maintained His place of directing and upholding all aspects of a completely enjoyable and perfect existence for us.
-----But our first parents decided they needed a share of His place. They were enticed by the prospect of knowing as He knew and being as He was. They sought the big prize and received a big responsibility. I don’t know if they understood this would make them obligated to also share in actually maintaining the security and righteousness of the place in which all mankind would grow up and live. But it did.
-----As sure as your decision to accept a chance for a handful of cash generated for you a lot of extra effort, we are all now obligated to a lot of extra effort not only to make the necessities of life, but also to keep our conditions clean. The cost of maintenance is high. It is additional. And few are willing to pay it. Because of this, our work does not pay full reward, our relationships are not always rich and up building, our society is not godly, and all of our governments view citizenship as a resource more than an obligation.
-----But God is faithful, though all men are not. Until the end comes, seedtime and harvest, hot and cold, and each of the seasons shall remain. He will make it rain and shine on the good and the bad alike. He has kept the critical responsibilities upon Himself. Moreover, He has created a cleft in the rock for the inner security of every individual who desires to accept the carrot He offers. Although the weight of man’s responsibility for his present conditions remains, the weight of responsibility for his coming eternal conditions has been lifted by God. The joy of entering those conditions makes our present situation bearable as His Spirit helps us with wisdom and encouragement. With this help we individually meet responsibilities yet on the shoulders of man that will be given back to God when Christ returns all things to the Father. By us an evil carrot was received, and to us a righteous carrot has been offered.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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