Deceived

Deceived - To be lead unknowingly into error; to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true. To be deceived is to be fully unaware of the fact(s).

No one likes to be deceived . Moreover, it can be down right dangerous, even fatal. How can we be certain we are not deceived, if by definition it means to be fully unaware that you are?

Recently I came upon a small dog in the middle of the road. I slowed to give it time to move, but it stayed put. So I came to a complete stop. The Chihuahua looked up at me with anticipation in her eyes. My heart melted. I opened my door to speak to her and she, seeing her opportunity, sprang into the car, up onto my lap, and began to vigorously shower my chin with kisses. I quickly concluded that she had either been abandoned, (which unfortunately happens a lot around here) or was lost. So I took her home with me, determined to put up signs and look for her owner, if indeed she had one. Later that day I dropped by a neighbor's house to introduce my four legged find. The neighbor exclaimed, “Well that looks like Rosie.” He promised to call Rosie's owner and see if perchance she was missing. Sure enough, after a couple more hours a strange red car pulled into my drive and a lady emerged. I immediately knew she must be seeking her beloved pet. It turned out that she had needed to leave her home for a short while and felt it safe to leave Rosie outside to enjoy the sun while she was gone. After all, Rosie knew the rules, she was well trained, and she knew to stay away from the road and in the safety of her own yard. Rosie may well have known the rules but she chose to disobey them and by so doing, found herself in the grasp of a stranger. Rosie was deceived into trusting her own whims. She must have thought, “My master isn’t looking, she will never know that I decided to do a little harmless exploring.” When Rosie saw me, she trusted me. I looked harmless enough. Her master’s warnings and instructions seemed pointless. She was a smart dog. She could make choices for herself. Surely her master wanted her to experience true freedom. Rosie’s thinking was flawed, she was trusting her own wisdom, while openly defying the council of her loving master. It might not have turned out so well for her. She could have been killed by a speeding car, or encountered someone who didn’t care about finding her owner. Yes, Rosie made a dangerous choice that day, and she is indeed blessed that the circumstances turned out favorably.

There are many warnings in the Word of our loving Master. God has given us ample instruction for our safe journey through this life. The problem is, we are often too busy to read it for ourselves that we may know what it says. Maybe we trust someone else to read God’s word for us. We reason, “They seem nice, they are educated, they have more time to read the Bible than I do, I think I’ll let them save me the effort.” Or maybe we think we don’t need it at all. After all, we are smart, we are free, we should be able to make our own decisions. And so the delusion goes. We live in a state of self deception which leaves us open to fall prey to every other sophistry of the devil.

Our Master gives a most fearful warning in Revelation 14: 9,10 which is one of the most stirring in all the Bible. “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”

Wow, what is that all about? God’s word unfolds this mystery for us. Surely God would never give us such a warning and then say, “Good luck figuring that out. I hope it works out for you.” No, God does not play games with His children. The Bible promises that God will send His Holy Spirit to help us understand these things. Jesus said, “you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” The Revelation of Jesus Christ, in Chapter 22:7 – 14 pronounces, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the saying of the prophecy of this book... and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that keep His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. “ God is telling us that His law is our protection. For after the terrible judgments pronounced in Rev.14:9-10, He tells us that those who keep the commandments of God will be safe from receiving the “Mark of the Beast.” “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12

Yes, deception is out there. Satan would love to deceive us. My friends, let's not be self deceived. We can not trust in our own wisdom. We can not leave the reading of God’s special instruction to others -- even to those we esteem as “well educated”. His word is for us personally and it’s the only sure guide that will get us through the crises we face. Let's trust God’s heart and know that His word is sure, His instruction vital. We can never be deceived so long as we obey Him and keep His word hidden in our hearts.

Bonnie Morsette ~ 8/15/2009