Choose

DEVOTION
2 THESSALONIANS
CHOOSE
2 Thess 2:9-12
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
NIV
It seems to me a horrible thing awaits those who do not accept the truth about God. Yet I think so many people are so interested in spiritual things, well maybe not spiritual in the sense of God, but in the sense of the supernatural. Maybe that is why they will all be deceived by Satan with all that counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. I think people are willing to accept most anything as long as they do not have to accept the truth about God. I don’t understand that. It seems too simple to accept his, his mercy, his forgiveness, and his son Jesus Christ as Savior. Maybe that is it, too simple. Maybe people are looking for the more complicated, a system, a method, a series of works or rituals to achieve whatever they think the afterlife it like. I know one thing for sure, I do not want to be in the crowd that refused to love the truth because I want to be saved. I do not want to be the precipitant of a powerful delusion and thus believe all the lies of Satan. I desire the truth of God; I want to know more about God, not Satan. I definitely do not want to be around every sort of evil as and be among those who will perish. That is not to say I have achieved perfection either, I sure have my faults, I sure still yield to certain temptations from time to time. I have sin in my sin even after these many years of trying to follow God. But I still love his truth and desire to live in a way that pleases him. I wish and pray I did not fail as much as I do, but I know that I am not condemned because I do believe the truth and I do not delight in wickedness. Now on the other hand I do not delight in the fact that people I know are going to be deceived and refuse to love the truth about God and thus they will perish. That is not a good thing, but what can I do? I have spoken about the truth of God and they refuse. Do they delight in wickedness? I don’t know. I do know it is their refusal which condemns them, not God. It is their delight in wickedness that condemns them, not God. It is because they will accept the deception of Satan, and believe all those supernatural things that are false they will perish, not because of God. God wants everyone to be saved, but because he loves everyone so much he allows them to choose on their own. So everyone must choose whom they will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. No perishing here.