Don't Be An Animal

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”

Isaiah 1:18


There is a day coming when the peace of God will rule the world and even the lion will lie down with the lamb. Sadly, today is not that day. As a Christian, when I watch the news regarding the rioting that is taking place in our country this past week I am reminded of the apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:12 where he wrote, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” I understand there is something going on behind the scenes in the spirit world that is dictating the actions of every person as we witness the clash between good and evil taking place on the worlds stage. Peaceful protesting draws attention to a past injustice, while barbaric rioting is the response of a seemingly hopeless future. The first is made possible because of man’s reflective will while the other is simply the response of animal instinct.

Believe it or not, all riots begin in the heart of man and are spiritual in nature going all the way back to the garden of Eden. The serpent first deceived Eve into protesting her obedience to God by eating the forbidden fruit and then incited a riot when Adam chose to join in the serpents sadistic plan. In Romans 1 we are reminded of the consequences of not exercising our reflective will which always leads us to being grateful people. When mankind fails to exercise his God given ability to reflect we become like the animal kingdom in that we merely respond to our base nature. When mankind exercises his reflective will he is able to pause, to consider, to weigh out the options that are before him. When mankind fails to exercise his reflective will his base nature takes over producing an unpredictable response similar to that of a wild animal that has escaped from its cage.

Romans 1:18-21 might describe best what is taking place in our country today, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” What we are witnessing in a sense is “hell on earth” as what we are getting a taste of is life without God.

The good news today is there is hope! All is not lost. Because mankind was created above the animal kingdom we are have the ability to exercise our reflective will today, to pause from the violence, to consider the options before us and to repent and turn back to God, to accept His invitation to come and reason with Him remembering,

“for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”

Philippians 2:13-15


I LOVE YOU!  

Michael Osthimer

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