11-6-18: What Has Gotten Into You?

Today is election day in the United States. Our treasured democratic process allows us citizens to participate in the process of choosing our leaders. We like having the freedom to make choices, and thanks to our peaceful transition of power, the choices made by the majority go into effect whether or not thousands of people have disagreed with who the winners should be. There is so much dissension in our country, though, that we seem to be at a place where the world is looking in and saying, “What has gotten into you?”

This idea of having choices reminded me of my childhood. Sometimes, I made choices that weren’t approved of by my parents. Whenever I would do something wrong as a result of a stupid mistake as a kid, I remember my mother saying to me, “Sharon, what got into you?” In other words, Momma was saying that she really couldn’t believe it was her daughter acting this way or trying to pull off this stunt. I knew I had a punishment coming too because disobedience was a sign of acting out of character which simply was not tolerated.

Unfortunately for him, Lucifer didn’t have a mom like mine to pull him back into line. The prophet Isaiah details his stupid mistake:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit” Isaiah 14:12-15 (NKJ).

Five times, Lucifer said, “I will.” What got into him to make him think he was really able to place his throne above God’s and be like God? I’ll tell you what got into Lucifer: sin. Ezekiel 28:15 plainly states of him, “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you” (NKJ).

Yes, it’s sad to say, but the same thing that got into Lucifer got into all of us. Lucifer had no where to go but down. That’s the fate we also deserve. Every time we’re disobedient, we are pointing our puny finger at God, telling Him to get off of the throne because we are now going to take that seat of control in our own lives. We want to be God. Once we get to this place, there’s no where to go but down. Ouch.

Mercifully, Jesus has done something about that rebellious streak in us. We now need to surrender to what the blood of Jesus has done: washed away all our sin, even our sin of demanding our right to ourselves. Let’s step down from our own throne and bow before God’s.

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©2018 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Links you won’t want to miss:

Watch Sharon in two shows on The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network:
- Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott, and
- A View from the Upper Room

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366 Glimpses of God: Getting to Know the God Who Knows You.
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Pick up copies of Sharon’s books for yourself and as gifts for your family members and friends!

Why I Get Into Trouble: Order through Sharon’s website: www.LifeThatMatters.net

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

Boomerangs Videolink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk