"If I Were The Devil" by Paul Harvey

If I were the Devil

If I were the Prince of Darkness

I'd want to engulf the

Whole world in darkness

And I’d have a third of it's real estate

And four-fifths of it's population

But I wouldn't be happy until I had seized

The ripest apple on the tree – thee

The Impact Of Pride

The longer that I linger on this planet, the more I discover the lack of true perspective that I have about my life. In 1974, Bravo, a software program, was one of the first programs to incorporate the WYSIWYG technology, or as it is better known, What You See Is What You Get. This was a revolutionary concept at the time because before this software was released, printing was a lot like trying to hit a target in the dark. What your eyes perceived on your computer screen was generally not what happened when you tried to print your work. 

Which is a lot like trying to contemplate our reality without the wisdom of Christ . . . 

"We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever." - (2 Corinthians 4:18 | NCV)

Investing In Our Weaknesses

In a lot of ways, dependence upon God during good times is rarely needed, at least from our perspective during that time. But as C.S. Lewis put it, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

We just celebrated Easter last Sunday and if there is a greater story of strength arising from weakness, I have yet to hear it. Jesus had been tortured, and then publicly executed, and His disciples were beyond despondent. 

It was officially the Act II for the church as everything that had been worked for, sacrificed for, and invested in Jesus ministry appeared to be destroyed. It was at this moment, this precise divine appointment, that God chose to demonstrate how the death of His Son become the greatest gift our world has ever known. 

Weakness. Powerless. Hopeless. We have or will experience these seasons in our lives, where darkness threatens to overwhelm us in our despondence and suffering takes up residence in our hearts. And just like that moment over two thousand years ago we are faced with a choice, how are we to respond during times of suffering and pain?

The Curse of Being Certain

Lying. Murder. Sexual Immorality. Disobedience. These are but a few of the sins committed by the Bible's prominent pillars of faith. These were people who made epic failures in their moments of weakness, yet they are also people that God redeemed and used in powerful ways to build His Kingdom. 

Today, we are going to look at the life of the father of Israel, Abraham. A man credited with incredible faith and revered for his place in our heritage. Even so, he was still a man and like us, he made his share of mistakes.

What's interesting is that Abram (as he was originally named) didn’t grow up in a godly home or have a great spiritual influence. He didn’t start with the makings of being the great patriarch of Israel. In fact, Abram came from a godless home in a wicked nation. Not much to start with, which appears in the Bible to be the type of person that God loves to use in a mighty way!