Ezekiel 18-19 / Hebrews 9:1-10 / Psalm 106:32-48 / Proverbs 27:10
This morning as the Lord and I talked together, I heard Him tell me that He would love for me to look for His true nature as I read scripture. He said He wants me to know His heart according to what His Word says and not according to what I’ve heard second-hand. So, as I read, I listened for His heart, and I found a great truth that applies well to our season in history.
Ezekiel 18:23 and 32 reads, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” and “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”New International Version, (NIV).
God is asking a question, and when God asks a question, be assured that He already knows the answer. If one doubts the answer to His question on whether He takes pleasure in the death of the wicked, keep reading until you reach verse 32 and the answer is clear. He takes no pleasure in the death of anyone.
I’ve noticed a trend on social media where some seem to rejoice in the misfortune or even the death of another. That has always hurt my heart so deeply. Some believe that it’s better for evil people to die and leave the earth, and while I understand the intention behind that: to rid the earth of evil. We must remember that those evil people are valued by God.
So, you’re wondering why God would value someone that society sees as evil. I get that. However, since we are not God, and we cannot see into a person’s heart, we don’t know what may be transpiring between them and God. All of us will die one day. Some of us will enter eternity having been found in Christ, and some will enter eternity having rejected the gift of Salvation offered by Jesus’ death on the cross.
So, while some are rejoicing at the death of another, God is not. That proves to me that His heart of love is larger, deeper, and wider than any human love could ever reach. That person you hate: that one you haven’t forgiven: that one you talk about behind her back: Jesus loves that one. That means we should also love others.
If God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, neither should we! I realize this may be hard to swallow, but would you as a follower of Christ honestly be okay with another human being, created in God’s image, spending all eternity in hell? If so, then it’s time for a heart check. Our hearts must be broken for the lost. We should both love them and pray for their salvation.
Yes, even the evilest, vile human you know needs the Savior. Might that evil person reject Jesus Christ? Yes, they might. But if someone has been brought across your path, God expects you to love that one and to pray for her salvation. If you get an opportunity to share your faith, include that as well because…
Romans 10:14 NIV) states, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
Have you ever considered that you may be someone’s preacher? Follow the heart of the Father, pray, love, and share Truth. You might just see someone’s destiny changed!
