Tags
1 John 1:9, 2 Peter 2:1-10, False teachers, Fleshly lust or Spirit Walking?, Jesus Saves!, Job 13:15-16, Job 19:25-27, Job 27:2-6, Liars Lie, Lost or Saved?, Revelation 3:20, SIN, Vexation, Vexed, What does your life "say"?
Are You Vexed By The World??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #97
Vexed: irritated, annoyed… much discussed or disputed….tossed about, as waves….
I know ‘vexed’ is an old and seldom used word today, but it fits the thoughts of my heart today; and scripture is replete with lessons about being vexed–both good and bad, so let’s see what we can learn and discern from God’s Word today.
Job is the picture that we often refer to when we think of suffering, yet we find so much truth in the book of Job, as we see this man of integrity stand for righteousness, truth, and his Savior-Redeemer, we can learn so much; and one of the things that encourages me so is Job’s so-called friends, ever telling Job if ‘he hadn’t sinned’ then none of these things would have happened, and calling him to confess and repent. All the while Job declares his confidence in his GOD and his integrity before HIM!
“As God liveth,
who hath taken away my judgment;
and the Almighty,
who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while
my breath
is in me,
and the spirit of God
is in my nostrils;
4 My lips
shall not speak wickedness,
nor my tongue
utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you:
till I die
I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness
I hold fast,
and will not let it go:
my heart
shall not reproach me so long as I live.” Job 27:2-6
Job wasn’t bragging on himself, but rather bragging on his God–the Almighty God of the universe–the One in whom he believed and trusted for salvation and deliverance.
“For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day
upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
and mine eyes shall behold,
and not another;
though my reins be consumed within me.” Job 19:25-27
And again:
“Though he slay me,
yet will I trust in him:
but I will maintain mine own ways
before him.
16 He also shall be my salvation:
for an hypocrite
shall not come before him.” Job 13:15-16
Unlike Job, we often let our friends and acquaintances influence our walk with God and our outlook on our circumstances–we must make sure that like Job, our faith is in God and His Word–Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, knowing that whatever may come our way or come around us, we can truly say with Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”! What does all this have to do with ‘vexation’? Well that’s a good question, for much like Job’s friends, who had a skewed view of God, many around us have that same skewed view of God and worse. We have come to be a culture that treats God’s Word, God’s ways, and God’s people with disdain, and like another man of faith who lost his influence due to the culture he chose to be in (and he had a choice, just like we do). It breaks my heart that our once godly, Christian nation now boldly, blatantly clings to the things of the enemy of our souls.
But, my friends, this is nothing new, just as Solomon once wrote, “there is no new thing under the sun” (See Ecclesiastes 1:9); and while we are taken aback by all the ‘new’ things absorbing our culture–it’s not new at all! It goes back to Eden, where man chose sin instead of God! Same story, just new titles, and names! Peter in his second recorded letter makes this abundantly clear, for there have always been false teachers–liars, betrayers, deceivers–and we must choose whether we will dig into The Word of God and know truth or be deceived by those who desire to steal our soul, our life, our children, and our culture. I AM VEXED!!! When will we wake up and measure our own lives by God’s standard rather than man’s? Lot chose to get accustomed to the sin, filth, and degradation around him, and it cost him his family; his testimony had become worthless to those around him because he had chosen to “go along to get along”! How about you and me? What comes out of our mouth is from the heart; what’s in your heart? What does the world see in your lifestyle; kindness with no truth, vile and filthy language to get along because we allow ourselves to absorb the filth around us? I’ll let Peter make the case.
“But there were false prophets
also among the people,
even as there shall be false teachers
among you,
who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies,
even denying the Lord that bought them,
and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways;
by reason of whom the way of truth
shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness
shall they with feigned words
make merchandise of you:
whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not,
and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned,
but cast them down to hell,
and delivered them into chains of darkness,
to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world,
but saved Noah the eighth person,
a preacher of righteousness,
bringing in the flood
upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha
into ashes condemned them with an overthrow,
making them an ensample
unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot,
vexed with the filthy conversation
of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man
dwelling among them,
in seeing
and hearing,
vexed his righteous soul
from day to day
with their unlawful deeds😉
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly
out of temptations,
and to reserve the unjust
unto the day of judgment
to be punished:
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh
in the lust of uncleanness,
and despise government.
Presumptuous are they,
selfwilled,
they are not afraid
to speak evil of dignities.” 2 Peter 2:1-10
My friends, judgment is coming–for believers and unbelievers–the judgment seat of Jesus (as described in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10) for believers, those who have been born again by the blood of The Lamb, where all will “give an account of himself to God”! The lost (those who have failed/refused to bow before Jesus in repentance and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin–your sin and mine– for “all have sinned”!) will stand before God at the Great White Throne with no recourse or payment for their sin, but to be cast into the “lake of fire” (Rev. 20)! You can live the way you want; you can talk the way you want, you can accept and promote immorality, wickedness, and the vile things of this world, and while it vexes my heart and soul to ‘see and hear’ it, everyone will give an account to God! I pray that you will hear the voice of the savior if you don’t know Him yet and come to His cross for salvation. If you are a believer who has compromised, I pray that you will come to that same cross in repentance and call on your Master Jesus for forgiveness, cleansing and restoration–HE is still changing hearts and lives.
“If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice,
and open the door,
I will come in to him,
and will sup with him,
and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
Amen and Amen!!!
Bible Ballistics 