How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
Isaiah spends some time talking about Lucifer and Lucifer’s rebellion. I’m not sure what I think about a real devil-like character, but I absolutely understand about the sins of a devil-like character. Lucifer thinks he can do better than God. Thinks he can do without God, and so God allows him to try.
I had a priest friend once who described hell as the condition where we willingly walk away from God, and despite our pain and anguish, we refuse to return. So it’s like a self-imposed time out from God’s love and grace. And I can imagine a devil-like character to be sitting right there in the time out corner too.
In big and little ways, we all think we can do without God. Like Lucifer, God lets us try. In my experience, I get myself wrapped around the axle about something I was never asked to handle by myself, and then pride kicks in. Nope. I’m not going to ask for help. Nope, I’m not going to pray. Nope, I’m not going to turn this back to God. All the while, I’m sitting in my prison, with the door wide open.
More than thinking about a devil-like character, what frightens me about Lucifer is that I have it within me to make such asinine choices, again and again. Despite knowing better, I am wooed into thinking I can handle it, or I’m the savior of someone else, or the weight of the world is on my shoulders. All I need to fall away from God is a little nudge towards some of my greatest strengths, and all of sudden those strengths become huge risks. I’m dedicated, loyal and persistent. These are great traits when I’m working with God to some end. But all I need is a little nudge from a devil-like character, and it becomes blindly obedient and loyal, and stubborn. I can handle a lot of things. That’s good, until I get prideful, and then I run back into my unlocked prison, stubbornly doing it myself.
The frightening thing about the devil, or whatever force is not God, is that I am enticed to walk away from God, when it starts out looking like something that’s playing to my strengths. Here, Carter. You can handle this or this or this. You bet I can. Pretty soon, it’s about my prideful desire and ability to handle things. Insidious, that’s what the devil is.
This morning, I’m thinking about how to recognize the voices that start sweetly encouraging, and end up drawing me away from God.
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