Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Divine Jealousy

James 4:4-5
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
  • When have you been jealous of someone?
  • What is it like to be a friend of the world?
  • When are you more likely to be tempted to be a friend of the world?
  • How does God feel when you are friends with the world?
Harold's Musings:
I've had my moments of jealousy. Generally these have occurred when a close friend was friendly with someone else. On a few occasions this involved a girl and then the feelings were even stronger. I knew the jealousy was wrong, but the feelings were real. Sometimes I forget that God has feelings. I have an underlying image of God as a cold, dispassionate judge in white robes. I intellectually know better but... It is hard for me to think that God is jealous of me when I snuggle up close to the world and the sin connected to it. It is hard to think that I am God's enemy all over again because I am a friend of the world. God loves you and me. He wants what is best for you and me. He knows that our friendship with the world will hurt us very badly and He does not want to see that. Perhaps I should be thinking more of God's feelings and how I don't want to hurt Him.

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