Unintended Consequences

Romans 12: 1 - 2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV

Hebrews 12: 14 - 17, Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. NKJV

When we choose to disobey God's will because we are busy satisfying our own, we may reap unintended consequences. Perhaps you have said or heard someone else make a declaration to this effect: "I never intended this or that to happen. All I wanted was to..." When I speak of "this," it usually involves the person who is making the statement, but "that" generally refers to someone else who was adversely affected by the one making the statement, "The unintended victim of the decision." Either way, there are usually regrets.

I used two scriptures today so that you could get a fuller understanding of this important Word.  Even though God calls and equips us to serve His purpose in the earth, He knows that we still have the freedom of choice. We can either choose to obey God's will, or ignore it because something else has captured our attention.  If believers decide to ignore the "calling of God" on their lives in order to fulfill their own desires, then there will be unintended consequences. For example, Jonah didn't want to obey God's command to go to Nineveh. Consequently, he got swallowed by a fish. While in the belly of the fish, he died, and his soul descended into sheol, or hell. Fortunately, God had mercy on Jonah and caused the fish to vomit him up on the shore. 

Likewise, Esau despised his birthright as the first-born male. Consequently, he sold it for some stew from his brother, Jacob. However, when the time came for him to receive his inheritance, it was too late. Though Esau sought repentance, there was none found because he had already made the wrong decision. Esau had regret and sorrow; nevertheless, he had to face the unintended consequences of his resolve to despise his birthright.

It seems easy for some people to say "no" to God when He deals with their hearts about fulfilling the calling on their lives. They may live for years and never give any time or attention to God's call. However, once He has placed them in an individual's heart, God's gifts and His calling are irrevocable; consequently, if anyone disobeys the Lord by not submitting to them, they will have to live with the regret and shame. 

The Holy Spirit specifically directed me to write this devotion today because He is dealing with the heart of someone who is running from their calling. He wants me to warn you of the fallout that will occur if you continually say "NO" to His instructions. He wants you to repent before you go too far and miss your hour of visitation from the Lord... or you wait until it's too late in life to fulfill God's call. If this is God's word to you, and the Holy Spirit has convicted you, please email me today and let me know that you have had a change of heart. Email me at passion30@whcnorth.org 

There Is Peace in the Center of God's Will,

Pastor Asa Dockery

www.whcnorth.org