Friday 1 Apr 2011

Friday Reading: Job 15:31

Key Verse: Job 15:31
31  Let not he being deceived trust in vanity; for vanity shall be his reward.

Devotion:
No matter how much you think that you are not being deceived by the world at large, you are being deceived. If it is not by Satan then it is by one of his followers or even one of the people who don’t know that Satan has got his grip on them. Satan is the great deceiver and he will continue to do so until he is finally locked away. But it is not the in-your-face deceptions that we have to worry about but rather the subtle changes that we do not notice because that is the time when he gains his foothold.

If you can imagine yourself on a mountainside (strange dreams again) and you are climbing with a friend. What happens when you get to a place where you have to sit and have a break for a bit and in doing so you drop a vital part of your equipment over the edge? Do you make a mad rush to grab it and risk going over the edge or do you just panic knowing that what you have dropped is vital to your safety? We could lunge for it and hope that we don’t fall or we could take a minute and figure out what we can do without it. What is most likely to happen is going to be based on your vanity and pride; a scary thought but oh so true! You may not want your friend to see you as being foolish and make a lunge – only to fall over the edge yourself... I know this is over simplifying things but that is what happens in our lives – our pride and vanity get in the way and we start to do stupid things!

If we are going to follow of vain ways then the only reward that we will receive is recognition of that vanity. Others may well say that we were committed or brave or some other great words; but they are only words... What we need is a surety in our lives so that we know what will happen to us if we do slip and fall over the edge. If we go mountain climbing then we face the risk of falling – don’t think that you are going to be safe just because you have the safety equipment because it may not be you who makes the mistake. Be aware of others and make sure you do not let your pride and vanity get in their way, never mind your own.

Points to Ponder:
Are you a proud person?

How far does your pride take you?