Today’s Devotional: “The Tragic Results of Rejecting God”

Because humanity knows God through conscience and reason, as well as through creation and nature, the Apostle Paul says they are now without excuse for knowing that God is real (Romans 1:20; 2:14-15).

But Paul doesn’t stop there. He goes on to say that their rejection of God has two tragic consequences.

“Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21)

Even though they knew of God’s existence through what their conscience and nature say, they refused to acknowledge God. Therefore, their minds became empty voids, and their hearts became blinded.

When people push God out of their minds, their minds become empty voids. God is no longer in their thoughts, and some other god has filled the void, a god of their own making.

Later, Paul says, “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.” (Romans 1:28)

A ‘reprobate’ mind is one without the knowledge of God. This was the case from the beginning.

“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

But beyond a mind void of God, they also developed a foolish heart, one without understanding and blinded to the truth.

In Ephesians 4:18, Paul said, “Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”

The lesson: we need to start giving God all the glory and the thanks He deserves. Then we will be like that wise master builder who builds his house on the Rock rather than on sinking sand (Matthew 7:24-27).