The Swindler

A swindler is a person who cheats another out of money or property with fraudulent claims. Just about everyday, someone attempts to swindle me. Email arrives from a grieving widow whose late husband accumulated $millions which she now wants to give to the Lord's work. All I have to do is send her my bank account information and she will deposit the funds in my account immediately, before she dies of her own grave illness. Right, and the moon is made of green cheese, too! Can you believe that people fall for those emails? I cannot, but the fact is that there are $millions lost to these swindles every year in America and here's why: greed! The 'promise' of a windfall sounds so good to somebody desperate to make a change in life that they set aside caution and ignore conventional wisdom.

There is another swindle that starts in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day. Paul writes about it in his letter to the Romans.
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. . . . .
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. . . .
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." (Romans 1:18-25, NIV)

Are you in danger of a swindle, friend?
Are you ready to trade away a rich relationship with the eternal God for a god like status, happiness, or pleasure?
Are you feeling so desperate that you are considering giving up your pursuit of the Holy One for the love of something or someone else? Don't say it cannot happen to you! If we linger long enough near temptation, gazing at the trinkets offered by the Swindler, they start to look like things of great value which we crave to own. Cheap pornography takes the place of real relationship. Pleasure from a glass of wine or a pill replaces genuine joy. The security of knowing God and being known by Him is set aside for the 'security' of wealth, which is no security at all.

So, how do we avoid the swindle? Two choices must be made daily.
First, glorify God. What does that mean? Worship Him. Acknowledge His supremacy. Make His Name great.
Second, give thanks. Thankfulness reinforces contentment. A contented person knows an inner peace that keeps the lies of the swindler from taking hold.

The Israelites were miraculously brought out of slavery in Egypt. They enjoyed the constant Presence of God in the cloud and fire and were fed by His hand each day. But, they complained against Him, fought with those God appointed to lead them, and resisted His will. And, they exchanged God's glory for a gleaming golden calf! That generation of people died in the desert blocked from the Promised Land by their faithlessness to the God who had called them. Alluding to their experience, Paul urges disciples to stay faithful.

Take this word from the Word to heart today.
"Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else.
Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can." (1 Corinthians 10:12-14, The Message)
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