November 2 – A security that lasts for generations

The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out.  (Proverbs 10:9 HCSB)

It’s much harder to do things the right way, taking care of every detail, than it is to cut corners and get things done quickly.   We can even do good things, but with selfish motives, turning them into worthless deeds just to impress others.  God sees right through them and will not reward us, because we’re taking something that should be holy and perverting it into something for our own glory.

But there are many corners in life that cannot be cut.  No matter how hard we try to take the easy road, we’ll eventually have to pay the price for poor character and a lack of integrity.  It’s frustrating to see politicians and big moneymakers appear to get away with murder, but nothing is hidden from God’s eyes.  We may hate their behavior, but that spirit of selfishness can contaminate us and even destroy our walk with God.  Before we know it, we are trying to get away with cheating at work, gossiping to bring someone down, doing a slipshod job on our projects, and trying to pass it all off as being “just human.”  We may even get away with it for some time, but God’s promise is that we will be found out and will have to suffer the consequences.

Jacob cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright and out of his blessing of the firstborn.  Jacob had to run for his life in fear of being killed, but then had to suffer under more than 14 years of oppression by a lying and cheating father-in-law, who gave him a good dose of his own medicine.  Jacob thought he was getting away with stolen blessings, but God found him out and made sure that he paid for his lack of integrity.  But the good news is, that Jacob learned from his mistakes and allowed God to turn him into a man of integrity and true faith.  God renamed Jacob as Israel and he fathered the 12 tribes of Israel.  His blessing has continued for centuries until today.  

If you are cutting corners in your daily life, if you are cutting corners in your relationship with God – only showing up to church when you’re in the mood, or trying to get the attention of others so you can have a position, or hiding a secret sin while pretending to be spiritual – God sees it all, no matter what it is.  You are fooling no one but yourself.  Take time to get your heart, your motives and your actions in line with God.   His promise is that you will live securely.  Learn a lesson from Jacob.  It’s much easier to make the effort to live in integrity, than to cut corners and have to pay for it for years and years.