Exodus 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

The onus is on us to deliver the word of reconciliation, we cannot make them accept it. It is our hearts that they will believe our witness, our words, but to hearken is not within our ability to exact.

Life will happen and events will draw His chosen into the fold. What they do not understand in passing up our initial invitation is all the pain of life that will occur between the offer and the acceptance. That pain will wear on their conscience long after their salvation is secured. The fact of those pains do not just disappear because we are saved.

Forgiven yet not forgotten, that pain is now a part of my witness of the old man who needed to come to salvation. I did and it is a warning worth heeding, but will they?

I see this opening verse in my own story, my witness. I heard the offer and I ignored it. I saw the first sign and I did not understand it, because I did not heed the invitation. Then life and pain resulted in a very painful confession of condition. Yes I responded to that latter sign and I am saved but the pain was not mine alone, I inflicted pain of the innocent lives of people who will no longer listen to me, my witness, nor my ministry of reconciliation. That is harm I cannot undo. Only God can undo those moments.

Will you heed this warning and avoid the pain that sin inflicts? It will not only ease your conscience, it will be a blessing to all you avoid wounding.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Subtleness is the modus operandi of Satan. He used it against Eve in the garden and he uses it yet still today. I would like to point out that people who write and act in ads are not Satan nor Satan’s tools. We over re-act if we blame people for Satan’s work.

You and I are responsible for the conditions of our hearts. If we look at an ad that shows beautiful people buying expensive cars, homes, jewelry, or vacations and in our hearts we covet it is not the ads fault, covetousness was there before the ad was viewed.

But as for the subtlety of the enemy, there is such a fine line between need and desire. God understands need. God provide for needs but we inch over that line between need and desire to the point that sound judgment and faithful stewardship soon take a back seat to lust of the eye, which is covetousness. It does not come suddenly like salvation, it is slow and insidious.

Job 31:6 Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

The tools available to us to avoid those subtle temptations are thoughts of the heart that seek God’s good gifts rather than “things of the world.”

Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?