We all know them. Our hearts break as we have watched those we care about walk away from God for something far less than His best.

They’ve traded eternal blessings for temporary pleasures.

Like Esau, who sold his birthright for a morsel of food (Heb 12:16), many have left the things of God for immediate satisfaction, only to find more trouble than they ever bargained for.

Hebrews 12:15 talks about this “root of bitterness”.

John Piper explains it this way: “What then is the root that brings forth the bitter fruit? It is a person who has a wrong view of eternal security. He feels secure when he is not secure. He says, “I shall be safe [secure], though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.” “

People with stubborn hearts want what they want when want it.

Oh, they may try God for a while, but when He doesn’t do what they want Him to do, they walk away.

Oh friend, like those who would first read Hebrews long ago, let’s be encouraged to persevere and follow the Lord. Let’s encourage others.

Let’s don’t get bitter and walk away when things don’t go our way; because, in all our lives, things will happen that we don’t like or understand.

It’s precisely in those hard moments, the evil one will fight even harder; he will lie to you and attempt to cause your heart to be bitter towards God.

BUT those who are trained by righteousness, those who refute the lies of the evil one with TRUTH from the Word and continue to follow God even when it is hard; AND those who have fallen but get back up and follow Him again… they are the ones who look beyond the temporal to the eternal and they reap REAL LASTING PEACE! (See Heb 12:11)

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Join me next week as I’ll start a new study on one of my favorite books. Follow along on this page or at kimjaggers.com. Prayers greatly appreciated.