12/31/14: What to Avoid in 2015

Living in Southern California, we are usually blessed with amazing weather year-round. In fact, it is not atypical to see children riding their new bicycles on Christmas day in 80-degree temperatures. Well, although Christmas was pretty warm this year, our year-end conditions are proving otherwise. December 30^th saw a cold winter storm blow through, dumping frigid rain on most of us, and snow down to pretty low elevations. The news broadcasts were replete with stories of road closures to avoid because they were impassable regardless of the type of vehicle being driven or the equipment those vehicles may have had.

Those roads to avoid came to mind as I read the last two chapters of Revelation today. Three times, God gives the “weather report” reminding us of what to avoid. Chapter 21 begins with John telling us that he saw “a new heaven and a new earth” (verse 1), in which there was “no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it,for the gloryof God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (verse 23). Furthermore, “the Alpha and the Omega” told John, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things… But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” Revelation 21:6-8 (NKJ). John repeats this same warning 19 verses later when he says of the holy city, “Nothing unclean and no one who does shameful things or tells lies will ever go into it. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the city” Revelation 21:27. Finally, as if to hammer home the point, before the last words of the Revelation are written, the warning comes one more time. “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” Revelation 22:14-15.

So, although the weather in the new heaven and new earth is bright and fair all the time, there are roads to avoid, and if we don’t, we won’t make it into the city. Let’s make 2015 the year we determine to avoid the following:

Cowardice
Refusal to believe the truth
Participation in evil things (the unclean and the shameful)
Murder
Sexual sin
Sorcery
Worshipping idols
Lying (the telling of lies and the participation in deceit)

Worship God for being the gracious One who warns of “road closures” to avoid.

____________________________

©2014 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.