ICS Daily Devotions
In the Last Days
2 Timothy3:1-4 (NKJV) But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
In the last days, men will do things that are ethically wrong and not of godly principles. People will be lovers of pleasure and money, self-centred, proud, boastful, blasphemers, disobedient, unthankful, unholy, unforgiving, slanderers, despisers of good instead of being lovers of God. They will ignore the truth found in God’s Word or choose to listen to non-confrontational messages that will not prick their conscience. They will have a form of godliness but deny the power through the Holy Spirit to live out a godly life. They will always learn and accumulate knowledge about God’s Word but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. From such people, we are to turn away.
James 5:1-6 (NKJV) Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
The things that God has intended or created for us to have can easily be perverted. Therefore, we need to strike a balance whenever we look at certain issues that are being highlighted. For example, God created us to have desires like the desire to eat but not to be gluttons. God also wants us to have abundance i.e. more than enough/sufficient. But having excess at the expense of others through exploitation is wrong.
People will want to store up for themselves treasures on earth which will lead them to retreat from the Word of God. Through their lust and egocentrism, they will exploit their workers so that they can store up more for themselves. The rich who oppress the poor will be judged by God. God vindicates those who are oppressed and listens to their cries and will come to their aid. God is compassionate and merciful. He responded to help those who were under oppression during their time of slavery in Egypt. He is righteous and merciful. He loves His people and He is the deliverer! He is not the oppressor. God is not our problem neither is He the source of the problem. He is the answer to our problems and the Saviour in times of trials and tribulation.
We should pray to God, cry out to Him, ask Him to do justice for our case and restore what the devil has stolen from us. We should not be partakers of greed and exploitation, instead we should draw closer to God in the last days.
Sermon Series – Character of God
