Lies of the Mind, the Ruin of the Soul
Ezekiel 8:12, "...Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth."
In this verse God unveils the wickedness of those referred to as "ancients," these are the elderly, influential men of Jewish society. They are not living in accordance with the will of God, nor are those who are younger and impressionable. Rather than seeking repentance, which frees the soul from sin and sets its focus upon the LORD, they hid behind two lies to continue living in sin. Satan's power is in the lie, he keeps people captive in sin through lies.
Two lies are expressed by the ancients as they are living in the midst of idolatry (in the chambers of his imagery). The first lie is that God is unaware of their sin. "for they say, The LORD seeth us not..." How untrue is this statement! God is very much aware of all that takes place upon the earth. He sees all, and He knows all. God is aware of what I am doing, God is aware of what you are doing, and He is aware of what every person is doing on the earth. Proverbs 15:3, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Proverbs 5:21, "For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings." 2 Chronicles 16:9, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth ..." Don't get fooled into believing the LORD is unaware of what you are doing. The second lie, the LORD hath forsaken the earth. It appears that evil is triumphing, it appears that evil is going unchecked but never fear, God hasn't forsaken the earth, and He hasn't forsaken you. We are reminded by the writer of Hebrews as he quotes from the Old Testament concerning the LORD, "...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5) To Moses God promised, "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6) To Joshua, God promised, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9)
We must live being influenced by the truth (the Word of God). We must make sure the Word of God is grafted into the very fabric of our lives in order to protect ourselves from the lies of the devil. Men and women are living today influenced by these two lies, that God doesn't see and that He has withdrawn Himself from us. Don't come to that same foolish conclusion!
Have a good day rejoicing in the presence and awareness of God in your life.
Your Friend and HIS,
Pastor Abbott
MEDITATIONS
1. Why do people often feel they are able to escape the consequences of sin?
2. How should Proverbs 15:3 influence our thinking and our actions?
3. Does it seem to you that God has forsaken the earth? What makes you feel this way? Is it true? Why or why not?
4. What should be the greatest influence in your life as a believer?