I Kept Running

I Ran from God Part 2

 Time went by. I met a man. I fell in love with him.  He appeared to be a God fearing man who loved the Lord Jesus.  How could I have known he was a wolf in sheep's clothing?   God knew.  That's why He kept telling me to get off Match.com, to save me from being preyed upon.  Had I obeyed God I never would have met that man.  

     He was filled with ravening greed inside.  As it turned out he was also a drug addict, and a gambling  addict.  About 6 months into the relationship my son discovered that he was stealing from me.  In the guise of helping me clean and organize my basement and garage he systematically went through everything looking for what he could pawn.  Little could I understand the extent of his thievery. I got counsel from a Bible translator, a brilliant Greek scholar.  He told me to prosecute.  So I did. 

         Jesus spoke of men that steal from widows.  (Mark12:40, Luke20:47, Matthew23:40)  "THEY DEVOUR WIDOWS' HOUSES AND SAY LONG PRAYERS JUST FOR SHOW.  THESE WILL RECEIVE THE GREATER CONDEMNATION." (ISV)   The New Living Translation puts it this way: YET THEY SHAMELESSLY CHEAT WIDOWS OUT OF THEIR PROPERTY AND THEN PRETEND TO BE PIOUS BY MAKING LONG PRAYERS IN PUBLIC.  BECAUSE OF THIS THEY WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED."

    He had kept proposing to me during our relationship, thank God I never accepted.  He would have taken everything and left me to die without a home and brokenhearted.  I got a word of knowledge later that "he was going for the jugular."

    I had prayed for a long time that he repent, and Jesus have mercy on him.  Jesus told me that he won't change or even acknowledge that he did wrong.  So, I've stopped praying for him.  He's been arrested, and has spent the night in jail.  We still have yet to go to trial.

     What was my part in all this?  My sin of loving a man more than I loved Jesus.  Jesus said:  "IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDS." (Jn.14:15)  "ALL WHO LOVE ME WILL DO WHAT I SAY." (Jn.14:23)  Jesus has forgiven me much, I love Him much. 

    God called me to turn from my wicked ways.  He is calling all of us to turn from our wicked ways.  "IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND HEAL THEIR LAND. (2 Chron.7:14)  I humbled.  I wrestled with God in prayer, seeking His face. I turned away from my wicked ways, that wicked man.  God heard me from heaven.  He forgave my sins. He's healed me and my home. 

     LET THE CONCLUSION OF ALL THESE THINGS BE HEARD; FEAR GOD AND OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN.(Eccl. 12:13 ISV)