But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you…
-Joshua 22:5
Here is something which the Word of God reminds us of over and over again, and that is the certainty of what God has said. God has said what He means and He meant what He said. When the Lord told the people that if they turned away and worshiped idols that destruction would come upon them, then He absolutely meant it. God also intended for that warning to be taken very seriously. Anytime a warning is issued the one giving the warning intends for the warning to be taken seriously. And what happens when the warning is not taken seriously? Someone gets hurt. The consequences of failing to heed that warning can be deadly. When the sign says, “Do not walk out onto the ice” that warning was meant to be taken seriously. I recall once when I was a young man growing up in Ohio that one winter it became unusually cold and was below zero for a number of days. Two friends of mine, in a moment of either bravery or stupidity, and I lean towards the latter, walked all the way across the Little Miami River on the ice. When they told me what they had done I informed them that I believed them both to be completely out of their minds.
Why is it that people are so willing to take those kinds of risks? The answer lies in a failure to heed the warning signs. When people get themselves in spiritual and moral trouble the exact same thing has taken place; they failed to take seriously the warnings which God has given in His Word. When God issues a warning as to what will happen when we disobey, then rest assured that what He has said will come to pass. However, when we are faithful to God, the result is life, blessing, joy, and peace. The wise and mature follower of Christ will choose to be faithful, and a wealth of spiritual blessings will follow.
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