We can abandon our sin or be abandoned by God!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
(Romans 1:28 (NLT))

Some translations use words that just don’t seem to be understood in the way that they are intended, or perhaps they use words that they think fit best because there isn’t a direct way to translate from the Hebrew or the Greek. That is why I like to reference many different translations. This particular passage is a prime example of this.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
(Romans 1:28 (NIV))

Which is easier to fully understand and grasp exactly what God has done?

He gave them over to a depraved mind, or He abandoned them to their foolish thinking.

I realize that they both convey God’s judgment, but different words can incite different responses, even when they are saying the same thing.

“God gave them over” indicates that He has allowed this to happen. It implies that this has been allowed since the beginning. I realize that we have free will. I realize that God does allow us to use our free will, but He is constantly calling us to repent and return to Him. At what point does He stop calling? At what point does He abandon those who have abandoned Him?

“he abandoned them” indicates that He has seen their actions and has turned His back on them because they have turned their backs completely on Him. It is at this point that He gives them exactly what they want.

I am sure that it breaks His heart, but I firmly believe that there is a point at which God will allow us to have our own way. It is at this point that He abandons us to our foolish thinking, to our depraved minds. I honestly believe that this country has already reached this point. To be honest with you, I believe that most of the world has already reached this point. All that awaits now is His judgment on the world.

If you profess a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you need to rely on His truth and acknowledge that He is Lord. We must remember that the word “lord” indicates that we completely submit to His authority and His will. It does not simply mean that we can call upon Him to save us and then go about our sinful, foolish thinking as if nothing had changed.

We are to change!

Perhaps I should say that we are to repent and allow Him to change us from the inside out!

Instead of being abandoned by God, we must desire to abandon our foolish thinking and fully embrace the grace and mercy freely given through the cross. We must not be foolish and truly acknowledge God. We must retain the knowledge of God so that we know what we should do.

It is our choice to make now!

We can abandon our sin or be abandoned by God!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Is your path well lit?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Your word is a lamp to my feet
     and a light to my path.
(Psalms 119:105 (ESV))

In this ever-darkening and sinful world, we need all of the light that we can get!

Darkness is not only a physical characteristic, it is a sad, but all too real, picture of the human condition. This is a condition that is growing out of control. Good is called evil and evil is called good. The things that Paul spoke of have not gone away with the passage of time. People have become more brazen in their depraved minds and are now openly flaunting the sins that lead to death! They are flaunting the very acts of the flesh that they have given themselves over to.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV))

There is nothing darker than a human heart and soul that loves sin, except, perhaps, for a world full of darkened hearts! This was the state of the world during the time of Noah. This was the state of Sodom and Gomorrah during the time of Lot. Is this the current state of the world in which we live?

I realize that there are a vast multitude of people who cling to Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. For those who have accepted Jesus, we live by a different standard. We desire to have our lives bear witness to what we profess. We desire for our lives to bear good fruit!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV))

Even though we desire to bear good fruit, the people who flaunt their sin are doubling down. They are trying to do anything that they can to overcome the light of Jesus. They have been given over to a depraved mind and hate anything that is of God! When we walk through this dark world, we must strive to reflect the light of Jesus. We must also live by His light. We must walk in His light.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
(1 John 1:7 (ESV))

We have the best light that we can possibly use to overcome this ever-darkening and sinful world. We must keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Lord!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
     I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
     your rod and your staff,
     they comfort me.
(Psalm 23:4 (ESV))

Is your path well lit?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

If you are searching for something new, turn to Jesus!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
(Acts 17:21 (NIV))

Does this sound familiar to what is happening in our society today?

It appears that being woke isn’t exactly a new thing. The name may have changed, but the sinful nature that is at the root of the condition is still the same. Whether is was then or it is now, human nature is always trying to break free of the history that defines us. In fact, if the Athenians would have had social media, I can only imagine the posts and arguments that could have occurred. It is in this exact environment where God was able to use Paul to reach those who were open to any and all new knowledge. The only difference between then and now is that then they were actually looking for the truth. Paul was able to use that inquisitive interest to explain to them what the truth is. Today, after thousands of years of truth, the inquisitive minds are looking to shun the truth and replace it with whatever is irrational and foolish.

Today, they have been given over to depraved and reprobate minds!

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
(Romans 1:29-32 (NIV))

Can you think of some cities in this world that are now known for “new” thinking and “new” living?

Are any of these cities a place where you would want to live?

Seeking after truth is not a new human characteristic. It has been the inmost desire since the fall from grace. Over the course of all of human history, people have tried to define their own truth. Paul made it clear that there was an absolute truth in the God of creation. Today, everyone wants to create their own truth. They want to shun the teachings of the last few thousand years as well as the basic concepts of truth. Everything has gone from a simple good or evil, to a sliding scale of infinite possibilities even when the scientific evidence clearly indicates that there are but two choices.

I will admit that in human eyes, many things do have a range of possibilities, but in God’s eyes, that is not the case. Nothing that we come up with will be right and true.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(Romans 3:23 (NIV))

Anything that leaves God out of the equation is a lie.

The fool says in his heart,
     “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
     there is no one who does good.
(Psalm 53:1 (NIV))

If you are searching for something new, turn to Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Have you allowed yourself to be changed?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
(Romans 1:28 (NIV))

Take a good look at society today and tell me what you see!

Everywhere you turn, everywhere you look, you see things that can only come from a depraved mind. You see more and more of the depravity that you thought you would never see in your lifetime.

Now, I am going to turn this around on each of us and remind each of us about the things that we used to do before we encountered Jesus.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
(Romans 1:29-31 (NIV))

Have you ever been greedy? Have you ever been envious? Have you ever been a gossip, or arrogant? Have you ever disobeyed your parents when you were younger? Have you ever done or said anything with a heartless attitude?

What makes us, as the Body of Christ, any different from those who are doing sinful things today? Did we have people sharing Jesus with us when we were unsaved? Did we have people praying us into the Kingdom? Did Jesus ever look at any of us and proclaim that we were too far gone and that He didn’t want to waste His time trying to bring us unto Himself?

I realize that the depravity has gotten much worse in the last years, but I want you to consider that the grace has always been enough to cover a multitude of sins. Prayer can work miracles in the world and in the lives of individuals lost in sin. When we see the depravity, we must remember that they are loved by God. We must remember the old saying, “But for the grace of God, there go I.”

Those who profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior are only the sinners that have accepted the message of salvation. We are not worthy of deciding who should hear the message and who we should pray to receive salvation.

God can change a mind and He can change a heart!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook