When we begin to look for a reason to turn our backs on God, Satan will make sure we find it. If there is anything in us that would be the tripping mechanism to betray the one who paid such a great cost to redeem us, that trigger will be searched out by the enemy of God. How do we protect ourselves from being set up for such a fall?

First of all, right now we must recognize a wayward spirit when it is in seed form. It often manifests in a knee jerk reaction to get angry or hurt with God, when things don’t go our way. This comes from not believing in God’s loving kindness and faithfulness towards his sons and daughters.

For those who struggle trusting the Lord everything negative that happens to them  is filtered through the belief that they are being rejected by God, or abandoned. This happens when we regard not the truth of God’s word, or we are ignorant of it. Bitterness then takes root. The fruit of that unholy combination produces waywardness of heart, if we never deal with root issues, and the lies of the enemy in seed form.

It becomes easier to cling to our bad habits and idols that provide immediate comfort and distraction. Those things that we have not yielded over to God or have made an idol become an occasion to sin, or stumbling blocks, against God. All our failures can be traced to our doubts and fears with in. The waywardness of our hearts set up intermediate targets for Satan to attack, when all is otherwise going well.

Those things that if the enemy were to touch them, would completely destroy our faith in God, because he knew if he could touch them he would have the wayward of heart as his own. The backslider’s waywardness causes him to stumble at these things and the devil knows it. It is not that “the devil made you do it” it is just that he knew you would. Your stumbling blocks or points for offense could be a succession of misunderstandings at work, putting your new found faith at the test. It could be rejection of a family member because of your trust in Christ. The loss of a job, a bad day, a bad year, an occasion to sin, that we blame on God. Rather than going to Him about it we get angry with Him, and then turn to our carnal nature to handle the offense. We begin to back bite, seek revenge, gossip, cause division; we may turn to our old habits again and carnality, believing and living a lie, committing adulteries against God.

The bible says those that have no root in themselves will spring up quickly for joy in hearing the word of God, like seeds scattered and watered, but because they have no depth, no good ground in their hearts for God’s word to take root, they immediately dry up and fade when the sun comes out and the heat of the day withers them away. Trials are the heat of the day. Life will happen. It is our job to give place to the word of God, and make place for the WORD of life to grow, in our lives. This takes cultivation of our hearts and sometimes an excavation to reach in and find the deep stones of resistance. This is the combination of prayer, word, and meditation. Including the searching of our own hearts before God, and the judging of it in His presence.

He that believes on Him must BELIEVE that He is, and HE is a rewarder of those who diligently seek HIM.

For new believers this is why discipleship  is so important. Relationships with seasoned believers will help walk them through pitfalls like this that try to tear us away from the Love of God, and our trust in Him, steering the new believer around common traps and offenses. If you are a new believer, take note. Don’t let anything or anyone separate you from the Father. Nothing can separate Him from His love for you. We choose to move away from God, creating distance from Him. Just like the prodigal son who went to a far away land, leaving his Father’s house. No matter how trivial, no matter how vile, we must always go to Jesus in everything, rather than succumb to the doubts and fears we harbor, that begin to lead us astray.

WAYWARDNESS From H7725; apostasy: – backsliding, turning away.

The idea of having a foot that is turned out, and constantly taking us away from the straight and narrow path.

“He who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

A Call To Wisdom

Proverbs 1:29-33 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. They would not accept my counsel. They spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

“But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

When we are not doing everything that we need to, in order to get depth in our life, that we be rooted and grounded in the faith, then a reason to charge the Father with unfaithfulness to us ward, will eventually be provided by Satan. Because the one who comes to kill, steal, and destroy will accommodate us with “the last and final straw” to begin our backsliding. As we slip away, our charges against the Father accuses him of not being trust worthy. This is doubting His integrity, springing from a bitter root. A weed left growing in the un kept garden of our heart. Springing up into fruition it reproduces itself, and there-by the garden of our heart is overtaken, many are defiled, or troubled because of it. This can translate into much loss and failure that hurts so many that depend on us. Or, are watching our lives because we are moms and dads, employers, teachers, or pastors; people in leadership.

God is not unfaithful. Our waywardness of heart, and mind, puts us in readiness to make an account against Him.

This is us looking for an excuse to abandon our faith in Christ, the enemy will certainly accommodate the backslider in heart with a reason to leave God. This is how our own murmurings and complaints against the Lord actually whistles for, and guides in, the occasion, the disappointment; even, the tragedy, that turns our hearts from Him. Where everything that we then experience in our own failures begin to become an indictment against Christ rather than a consequence of our own sins, in our own mind. This is called the deceitfulness of sin. This is the work of the enemy, when sin is finished it brings forth death. Satan wants to destroy us, he wants to put the nail in the coffin of our walk with Jesus. A curse causeless cannot stand, where there is a carcass the ravens land. Satan, like a roaring lion, roams about to and fro seeking whom he may devour. Whom we are to resist steadfast in the faith. Our backsliding is proof of our faithlessness. In fact, had we hated our lack of faith enough, we would have begged Him to help us in our own doubt and unbelief. As this man in the Gospel of Mark-

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Jesus counted that man’s answer as faith full, because he confessed his weakness, while yet looking to the Lord for the answer he needed, and his son was healed. Without faith we cannot please God. Faith comes not but by hearing, and that by hearing the word of God. Romans 10:17. Also, the scripture tells us we can build up our faith by praying in the Holy Ghost.

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost 

An unfaithful heart begs for an occasion against God, and the evil one who desires to snatch the priciest soul will certainly, provide that occasion, that circumstance, or event, that will give reason to throw in the towel. Many go to their grave blaming God for what their own wayward heart arranged against them. Proverbs 1:32 For the waywardness of the thoughtless shall slay THEM, and a fool”s confidence will destroy them.

Proverbs 5:22
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.

Proverbs 8:36
But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.

Our own wickedness is our Judge and Jailor.

Jeremiah 2:19
Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

Over the years my husband and I have heard many people come to us and say, “God turned his back on me, so I turned my back on God.” Usually, it was because of a tragedy that they blamed on the Father. It was their opportunity to lay a charge against God, how they responded to the tragedy is proof of that. Had they wanted His life and comfort, the word of God promises to those who believe, they would have believed He desires life, and life more abundant for His Children; that He will never leave us nor forsake us, no matter what. What Satan has meant for evil to destroy us with, God will turn it around for good. Lack of knowledge keeps us from knowing the will of God in our lives. The scripture says, “my people perish for lack of knowledge.”

What must we do to avoid becoming APOSTATE.

We must be as David was who was a man after God’s own heart. Look at David’s prayer to God.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

And another prayer asking the Lord to meddle with our hearts and motives. Cleansing us from hidden faults.

Psalm 19:12-13
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

This is how we daily examine our selves before God. This is including the Father, prayerfully, in the thoughts and intent of our hearts. Being faithful to confess our sin.

1John 1:8–10
If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

The wayward of heart who uses every excuse that comes their way to be angry with God, is often baiting Satan to create another reason for them to forsake Christ. The greater the call of God on one’s life, the more likely these disruptive, and heart wrenching events, are likely to be. Sadly, time waits for no one as destiny is ebbed away because we simply choose not to subject ourselves to the devotion it takes to have our hearts daily examined, by yielding our lives before God. This is what it means to wait on the Lord in his presence, that is to take a moment out of each day and stand before HIM, our own hearts will approve or reprove us, we then open dialogue with our Father about those things in our own hearts that condemn us. We ask forgiveness and talk to him about our motives and reasonings on why we did what we did, asking Him for HIS help so that we don’t make those mistakes again.

That interaction with God is not regarded as our sinfulness, but a Godly act of repentance. He is able to heal our backsliding heart when we ask Him to. Waywardness can be healed. God calls the backslider of heart to return to Him, and they often do return laden in much regret in spite of their error. Still, there is much loss and heart ache suffered by the backslider in heart. It is best to search our hearts now for such condition then risk great loss of life and destiny, later. Nevertheless, the moment we approach the Father with a repentant heart, He is ready and willing to forgive us and cleanse us of our error.

Already, He has seen us coming and has called for the ring, robe, and fatted calf to be prepared for the joy of our RETURN.

Hosea 14:4 “I will heal their waywardness. I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from him.

Happily God the Father is a God of restoration, He is truly interested in redeeming what has been lost, and making a blessing out of our lives. Though we cannot make up for time lost, He can make up for it in a way only He can. If we put our trust in Him to do so, OUR REDEEMER LIVES! He is able. We can make up our lost time with Him by intensity of love and fervor for Him and His people. Lord show us your love that we may show others!

Psalms 139:9-13
The commands of the LORD are clear,
giving insight for living.
Reverence for the LORD is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.

AMEN