11/23/16: God is Not Happy About This

When Osama Bin Laden was killed, some people in America rejoiced in the streets. After all, this one man had accepted blame for masterminding the 9-11 terrorist attacks within our borders. Acts carried out under his direction left many loved ones with empty arms and hearts when the planes used as missiles hit their marks. Even the plane that missed its target crashed in a field killing all aboard. Wasn’t the celebration of punishment for Bin Laden justified?

Not in God’s sight.

Ezekiel 33:11 states, “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live…’” (NKJ). Bin Laden professed that he devoutly followed a religion that does not believe that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and there’s no other way to get to God except by the acknowledgement of who Jesus is (See John 14:6). The atrocities sanctioned by Bin Laden were indeed wicked acts, but God had no pleasure in his death. Why? Because He is longsuffering (patient) toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” Second Peter 3:9 (NKJ).

We see Bin Laden’s sin as so much worse than our own. The truth is: none of us deserve salvation. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans3:23 (NKJ). Any sin is enough to preclude us from Heaven. It’s only thanks to God’s amazing grace and mercy that our lives were not cut short before we had a chance to come into the saving knowledge of Christ, trust Him as our Savoir, and be welcomed as part of the family of God.

By all indications, Bin Laden is spending the rest of all eternity in hell’s fires along with everyone else who died without the saving knowledge of Christ. That’s nothing for us to celebrate. God gets no pleasure in an unsaved soul. Let’s busy ourselves today and every day spreading the Gospel so the tragedy of a lost soul won’t happen to anyone with whom we come in contact.

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©2016 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.

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Mission Trip Update! I think about Africa every day. My new Motherland friends and I stay in contact thanks to Facebook. God is the true international God; Jesus is the international Savior; the Holy Ghost is the international Spirit. Love for our God crosses country checkpoints without needing a passport or a visa.

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