BBD 07.21.08 The Devil is Selling Lemons
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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07.21.08
The Devil is Selling Lemons
(Update of a devotional from 1998)
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of
you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the
same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may
the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle
you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. - 1 Peter
5:5-11.
Have you ever bought a car that was a lemon? Wikipedia gives this definition
for an automobile that is a lemon: "A lemon is a defective car that, when
purchased new or used, is found by the purchaser to have numerous or severe
defects not readily apparent before the purchase. Any vehicle with these
issues can be termed a 'lemon,' and, by extension, any product which has
major flaws that render it unfit for its purpose can be described as a
'lemon'."
I did once buy a used car that was a "lemon" and it was not a pleasant
experience. The car was for my oldest son and on the outside it was
beautiful, however, I failed to inspect it sufficiently. It was raining on
the day we purchased the car and so I did not crawl underneath of the
vehicle. If I had crawled under it I would have seen that the car had been
in a severe accident. Later I found out that it had been totaled and sold
for salvage or junk. Someone had bought it and rebuilt it enough for it to
pass as a desirable vehicle.
This car was at the mechanics too many times to remember. I thought that
eventually we could replace and repair what was wrong with it. We had too
much money in it to just give up or at least that was what I was thinking.
After sinking several thousand dollars more into the car a service manager
told me that if it was his car he would get rid of it. Why? Because it was a
"lemon" and it would never be a good car and it would always have problems.
Now he tells me, right!
That old devil is constantly trying to sell us some things too. They all
look good on the outside but if we look at them closely we will see that
they are lemons. What harm will one snort of cocaine do? Ask the person who
drops dead from a heart attack. What harm will a few minutes with a
prostitute do? Ask the man who contracted HIV. What harm will a little
gambling do? Ask the person who develops an addiction and loses their
family.
Before we buy what the devil's selling we ought to crawl underneath and take
a good long look. Submit yourself to God's will in every area of your life
and resist the devil - the Lord will "exalt you in due time."
Copyright © 2008. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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