Weekly Devotional 5-14-18 The Reason
It is being increasingly asked today, “What on earth is happening if God exists and is good, then why does He allow all the turmoil, strife, war, pain, and suffering? Why doesn’t He intervene and put a stop to all these things?” God could intervene and put an immediate stop to these things, but if He did, man would not seek Him. For many, it is these very things that causes them to turn to God for relief.
From the record of Genesis (the record of beginnings) we learn that Adam, man’s federal head, disobeyed God and did the only thing he was forbidden to do. He took of the forbidden fruit. In essence he experimented with evil. The fruit itself was good, but by the taking of it he chose to not take God seriously believing the lie of Satan rather than to believe what God his creator had said. God had warned, “16bOf every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16b-17). Adam became other than he was created. He now was ruled by self-interest and was subject to the inhibitions of a fallen nature, and by the suggestions of Satan. Sin had entered the world. Immediately, another kingdom came into being, a kingdom at enmity with God and influenced by Satan. Turmoil, strife, war, pain, and suffering is of that kingdom, not the kingdom of God.
Adam became a sinner and his offspring would be, and are, born into the world as sinners, outside the kingdom of God. They are born into a Godless kingdom, subjected to the above-mentioned things, which find their origin in Satan. However, God didn’t quit. Before He created the world He knew of Satan’s rebellion, of Adam’s disobedience (sin) and provided a means of restoring man to His Kingdom. This restoration of course is generational. God is saving persons of each generation, adding them to His kingdom.
Someday, perhaps soon, God will overcome the Godless kingdom of this world and establish His righteous kingdom on earth. At that time, His kingdom that now exists within those who are His will find it’s expression in the temporal sense. Jesus Christ, who was rejected, will rule over the earth righteously, with a fist of iron and will not permit those things that lead to turmoil, strife, war, pain, and suffering. He will rule on the earth for a thousand years. Then He will create a new heaven and a new earth. For eternity God’s kingdom will be the only kingdom. Thank you, Lord.
All those who were brought into the Kingdom of God during their life time will be citizens of this kingdom experiencing God in a relationship that can only be imagined. Those who rejected the authority of the kingdom of God during their lifetime, and lived according to the dictates of their fallen natures and the allurements of the Godless kingdom of this world, will forever suffer for their decision. To which kingdom do you belong? This is probably the most important question that one can ask you or me, and it requires an answer.
Jesus, God the Son, has sent His Spirit, the Holy Spirit into the world to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, of judgment. (See John 16:7-11). Sadly, many reject His witness, and in that rejection they are led by the lust of their flesh, their fallen natures, and the influence of Satan. The apostle Paul wrote of this in his letter to the Galatians. Consider;“19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).
These things are of the kingdom of this world, not the kingdom of God. In contrast, the Holy Spirit is producing in those who are of the kingdom of God “22love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law – judgment” (Galatians 5:22-23). This production is not automatic. It takes the surrender of self-autonomy, self-rule. Paul went on to write, “24And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” Galatians 5:24).
Thus, we find the reason for “turmoil, strife, war, pain, and suffering” the existence of an un-godly world kingdom.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
All Scripture used is from the NKJB