Dear friend, It’s essential to understand the profound respect and reverence with which we must approach our relationship with God. When we treat our spiritual journey lightly or “play” with God, there are grave consequences. The Bible is filled with examples of those who took God’s grace and commandments lightly, and the results were never favorable.
Brother and sister, when we think of figures like Saul, who was once anointed by God but lost his way due to his disobedience, or the Israelites who, time and again, drifted away from God’s commands and faced dire consequences, we see clear illustrations of the dangers of taking our relationship with the Divine lightly. They all faced significant challenges and losses in their lives because they did not give God the place He deserves.
It’s a solemn reminder for all of us to remain true and sincere in our faith. When we take our relationship with God lightly, we risk distancing ourselves from His protective embrace. This can lead to spiritual stagnation, loss of blessings, or even worse, the hardening of our hearts towards the Almighty.
Dear friends, our spiritual walk requires commitment, humility, and sincerity. The dangers and consequences of playing with God are too high a price to pay for fleeting moments of disobedience or neglect. Let us, therefore, be vigilant, keeping our hearts and minds attuned to God’s will and His word.
Dear friends now let’s see the Bible scriptures below that talk about the Dangers and Consequences of Playing with God.
1 Samuel 15:22-23
“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord , he hath also rejected thee from being king”
Judges 2:12
“And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger”
Isaiah 1:19-20
“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it”
Jeremiah 2:19
“Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts”
Zephaniah 1:6
“And them that are turned back from the Lord ; and those that have not sought the Lord , nor enquired for him”
Proverbs 14:12
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”
Romans 2:5
“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God”
Hebrews 3:8
“Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness”
Psalm 78:40-41
“How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel”
Ezekiel 8:6
“He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations”
Hosea 8:12-14
“I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt. For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof”
Luke 12:20
“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”
Proverbs 1:29-31
“For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord : They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices”
Jeremiah 7:24
“But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward”
Psalm 106:13-15
“They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul”
Nehemiah 9:26
“Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations”
Romans 1:28
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient”
Proverbs 28:9
“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination”
Hebrews 10:29
“Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
Psalm 95:9
“When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work”
2 Chronicles 24:20
“And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord , that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord , he hath also forsaken you”
Jeremiah 13:10
“This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing”
Isaiah 65:12
“Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not”
Proverbs 29:1
“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy”
Jeremiah 35:17
“Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered”
Conclusion:
In the sacred pages of the Bible, we find countless stories of individuals and nations that faced the repercussions of not taking their relationship with God seriously. Our spiritual journey demands respect, dedication, and unwavering faith. The consequences of neglecting this profound relationship are evident in biblical accounts, serving as lessons for all of us. It’s paramount that we immerse ourselves in God’s word and follow His commandments with genuine devotion. By doing so, we can steer clear of the pitfalls that come with taking God’s grace and commandments lightly. Let this serve as a reminder to always cherish and prioritize our bond with the Divine, lest we face the adverse outcomes of neglecting it.
