Blaming God for Our Choices

One of the worst things about people is that we don't want to take responsibility for our choices and our actions. We tend to blame our sins on other people. We even have the audacity to blame our sins on God. When we do that we are really in trouble, because God doesn't tempt us to sin in any way. He has designed us, as humans, to have a free will so we can choose what we will do and say. Therefore, we are accountable for all of those things. We can't push the blame to Him or anyone else.

In Isaiah's time the people of God were being rebellious in many ways. God was angry and punishing them for their sins. They were blaming Him for all of their problems. (Isaiah 63:17) "Lord, why have You allowed us to turn from Your path? Why have You given us stubborn hearts so we no longer fear You" Return and help us, for we are Your servants, the tribes that are Your special possession." Let's learn some vital principles from this verse today.

God allows us to turn from His path because He wants us to love Him and to choose to take His path out of love for Him. If we turn from His path, it is because our heart is not right with Him. We are the only ones who are in control of our own heart. We have to decide to love Him with all of our heart and to stay close by Him all of the time. God would never make us a robot, so that He controls us. That takes love out of the equation. God is love, and the first commandment is for us to love Him completely. He is not going to violate those things.

Also, He doesn't give us stubborn hearts. We choose to be stubborn. When we choose to sin, our hearts get harder and harder. We get set in our ways. We decide that we like sin more that we like God's ways. We decide not to fear God, but to do what we want to do. That is what makes stubborn hearts. We can choose to give our hearts to the Lord at any time, and He will draw us back close to Him, but we must take the first step. If we have stubborn hearts today, let's decide to love the Lord and to turn all of our life over to Him. Then, we will follow His paths and have soft hearts.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 64-66.