the woman...the cost

I watched him for a while from the back of the room. His head tilted sideways in slumber. I wasn't sure if I was seeing in the spirit or if he was actually sleeping. I had trouble believing he was sleeping. It was a rather tense meeting of church members and leaders. The discourse bordered on unpleasant at times and since he was a leader that had a vested interest in the proceedings, I assumed that I was actually seeing in the spirit. God allowed me to see what really was going on.

There was a group in that meeting that had already chosen to disconnect from God. They heard the call of the woman and chose to heed her, turning aside from God in order to fulfill their own soulish desires. This leader was part of the group. Instead of embracing the radical call of discipleship that leads through the cross, the women offered an easier way. She seductively spoke of worth and value in a way that resonated with the innate desire for significance. The desires of the heart were available without the great cost demanded by God.

Now...there was a slight cost in heeding the woman as well. In order to obtain what the woman offered, there was a slight caveat. One must disconnect from God in order to receive her benefits. On the other hand, she does offer an appearance of godliness, a godliness so fashioned after the real thing that most people will never notice the differance. Scripture refers to those who slumber in relation to their connection with God. They may possess the appearance of godliness but their spiritual sensitivities have been completely dulled by their love affair with a prostitute - they sleep, completely unaware of God and His ways.