God's Loving Warnings

"And since Christ is so much superior, the Holy Spirit warns us to listen to him, to be careful to hear his voice today and not let our hearts become set against him, as the people of Israel did. They steeled themselves against his love and complained against him in the desert while he was testing them." Hebrews 3:7-8

Once there was a man named Adam.  God placed him in a beautiful garden with a beautiful woman.  In Genesis 2:16-17, God gave Adam a loving warning, "You may eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the Tree of Conscience—for its fruit will open your eyes to make you aware of right and wrong, good and bad. If you eat its fruit, you will be doomed to die" (TLB).

But Adam did eat and the result was death.

There was a man born to Adam named Cain.  After Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God, God lovingly warned Cain as recorded in Genesis 4:6-7, "Why are you angry?” the Lord asked him. “Why is your face so dark with rage? It can be bright with joy if you will do what you should! But if you refuse to obey, watch out. Sin is waiting to attack you, longing to destroy you. But you can conquer it” (TLB)!

But Cain did not do as he should and the result was destruction.

Throughout Scripture we read over and over again of the loving warnings of God, longing to save and rescue His people, but note what Scripture says about the vast majority's response.  Jeremiah 6:10 tells us, "But who will listen when I warn them? Their ears are closed, and they refuse to hear. The word of God has angered them; they don’t want it at all" (TLB).  

When blessed with prosperity these loving warnings come to Israel again, standing as a reminder to us today.  Jeremiah 22:21 says, "When you were prosperous, I warned you, but you replied, 'Don’t bother me.' Since childhood you have been that way—you just won’t listen" (TLB)!

But there were those who did listen.  There were those who obeyed.  There are those who overcome, and Scripture tells us, too, of their victorious reward.  Revelation 2:26-28 states, "To everyone who overcomes—who to the very end keeps on doing things that please me—I will give power over the nations. You will rule them with a rod of iron just as my Father gave me the authority to rule them; they will be shattered like a pot of clay that is broken into tiny pieces. And I will give you the Morning Star" (TLB)!

May we never ever doubt or forget that through Him we have overcome!

Goodnight, Runners.