"The Way of the Wicked" -2

"There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise." (Psalms 36:12) Don't ever think that God hates you, because it is not within His nature to hate anyone; God is jealous for you, as a loving Father that only wants to very best for His children. However, because He created us with free will, He will only do so much; the rest He leaves up to us. In other words, He has given us every thing that we need to be obedient and return our love towards Him, we on the other hand need to use all that He has given us. Looking at all the examples of asking God for something, there are some pretty good ones that demonstrate how we are to seek after the things from God that help us to please Him, not to please our selves. When Jesus spoke about asking God for anything, and that He would give it, I don't think that the material things of the world were included; yet, time and time again, I see someone speaking about John 15:16 as if it were a ticket to naming your life style, or asking God for the new house or car. Don't get me wrong, I pray that God will bless me by providing for the things that I need, but I don't hold out my hand and wait for it to show up, as if I have it coming to me. Jesus also said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) Our most important things to ask for are things like His Spirit, His love, and the ability to follow Jesus in all that we do; all those other things, as needful as they might be to provide for our families, do not account for anything at all if we are not living after Jesus. Sure, you will provide a good home for your family, but if Jesus is not the focus of your household, the your home is only good for shelter; something far less important that a relationship with God. I want God to heal my wife; more than anything else in this world, I want her to be able to speak, and to walk, and to hold and kiss me back; yet, if God does not heal her, I do not think that God hates me; nor do I think He does not care about how I feel, or that I hurt terribly sometimes because of the condition of her life. However, God continues to use our lives to bless others; He continues to give me strength to get through the times of depression; and God allows me to continually experience the richness of His love through my love for my wife. What do you think I am trying to say? and what has this to do with "The Way of the Wicked"? I know, it's sometimes hard to figure out what God is doing, or how much of a contrast that there is between our hearts and His; but God is only goodness and righteousness, we are full of wickedness; so if there is something that we don't understand, or that is keeping us back from doing what is right, it's not God! More importantly, when we actually do have to stand and be judged, there will be nothing that can be blamed on God, everything will be our own faults and our own actions; everything that the wicked receive for their wickedness will be because they held onto their own wickedness, and did not humble themselves before the mighty hand of God... "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 4:17-20)