I hope we are all on the same page of understanding when it comes to this word ‘incentivize’. Whether you do this with your children, your employees, or your dog… we like to encourage folks to make good positive and productive decisions by ‘rewarding’ them with favor, which can come in many forms.

Now you may disagree with me here, but I don’t believe this is a ‘bad’ thing to do with people, children (or pets). In fact, you can find plenty of examples in scripture where God does this very thing with us.

“He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6)

“No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly before Him.” (Ps. 84:11)

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (daily needs/provisions) will be added to you…” (Matt. 6:33)

What many people fail to realize is that while God’s love for us is ‘unconditional’…many if not most of His promises are ‘conditional’; i.e. – “If you do this, I’ll do that.”

And if it’s ‘abundant life’ you seek after…well…you have to ‘come to Him’ first (John 10:10; 5:40).

But sometimes, incentive can come in different forms... as in not by offering rewards, but ‘motivational warnings’. For example…that new car you just purchased that you want to take extra good care of…you might want to put it in the garage since a fierce hail storm is bearing down on your neighborhood. Now whether you do this or not will determine what your car looks like after that storm passes through; but I think (hope) you get the idea here.

Have you ever heard someone say that ‘they didn’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain”? My wife use to suggest that when I told her I was going out to photograph an incoming lightning storm when I lived back in Texas. And what some might call ‘common sense’, the Bible refers to it as ‘wisdom’. Do you happen to know what the ‘beginning of wisdom’ is marked by? The ‘fear of the Lord’ (Proverbs 9:10); and I should add that there is a big difference between having a healthy ‘fear of God’ as opposed to being ‘afraid of Him’.

When my three daughters began to drive a car at the age of 16, I didn’t want them to be ‘afraid of driving’, but I sure wanted them to have a ‘healthy fear’…of what could happen if they got careless or distracted while driving. Does that makes sense?

So we’ve been talking about the meaning of ‘repentance’, and how we are admonished, if not commanded to ‘repent’…if we want to avoid being destroyed or perishing. God is not about the business of threatening mankind…but he sure offers up plenty of warnings, and has been since man first appeared on the scene. “If you eat off this one tree, you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17)

“Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deut. 5:29). And then came the multiple warnings as to what would happen when God’s people did ‘forget Him’ or ‘forgot His law’ and failed to continue obeying Him.

When John the Baptist first arrived on the scene, he was ‘preparing the way’ for his cousin, Jesus who had come to usher in a new age with a declaration of the arrival of the kingdom of God, and that the need to ‘repent’ would precede this entry into it (Matt. 4:17). The ‘good news’ was God was making away for all of mankind to be restored to complete fellowship and relationship with Him. The bad news was any and all who failed to turn, or to ‘repent’ …by coming to Jesus…would be destroyed (Luke 13:3,5). And we are told that it is/was the will of God for ‘all men to be saved…and to come to the knowledge of the truth…and to not perish but to come to repentance’ (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9).

We read in Matt. 3:7-12 where John announces a ‘coming wrath’, and that we would all do well to produce ‘fruits of repentance’, even hinting that some ‘axe is already laid to the root of the trees’…and that every tree that does not produce this fruit, will be ‘cut down and thrown into some fire’. And yet for a variety of unfortunate reasons…many modern day, sincere Christians have little understanding or knowledge as to what this ‘wrath of God’ entails, how it relates to us today, or why we should even be concerned about it. In fact…many are under the impression that God’s ‘wrath’ is not even something to be worried about…until later when the ‘great tribulation’ begins to unfold; but then they’ve also been told they will be long gone and out of here thanks to the ‘rapture’.

Meanwhile…many continue to suffer needlessly, be it physically, emotionally, mentally, relationship-wise, etc. And because of our lack of understanding…or should I say ‘lack of knowledge’…many are being ‘destroyed’ (Hosea 4:6) by the very thing that God made clear is already here: His ‘wrath’ (Romans 1:18). Not only is God’s wrath currently here (and has been here; John 3:36)…it is the ‘wrath of God’ that Jesus came to save us from; but in order to be ‘saved’ from it (Rom. 5:9)…it is necessary for us to ‘repent’ and to turn to Him…coming to Him with our ‘whole heart’. Was the rich young ruler in Matt. 19 willing to come and ‘surrender all’ to Jesus? And what did he end up doing? (22).

A few days ago, we were touching on this idea of the ‘last days’ or the ‘end of time/age’ and how every generation of people have their own ‘last days’. And we were talking about how Paul described the ‘day of the Lord’ as being like a ‘thief in the night’ (1 Thess. 5:2) He goes on to describe the gloom and destruction that would befall those who remained asleep and in darkness. But I want to redirect your attention back to Joel 2 where we visited the other day, because he too addressed what this ‘day’ would be like.

He writes of these coming ‘armies’, the ‘likes of whom have never been seen nor will ever will again’ (2). You really should spend time reading through and marking this chapter, because as sobering as it sounds, it offers much insight as to what is happening today. These ‘armies’ coming ‘climb into houses and entering at the windows like a thief’ (9). And we know what the ‘thief’ comes to do – (John 10:10). So what was the promise we read earlier in Isaiah 30:15 how we might find ‘rest’ and ‘salvation’? Through ‘repentance’ or ‘returning’ to Him. Now look at Joel 2:12-13. What ‘remedy’ does the prophet offer up there in how things might be ‘turned’ around? Sounds like ‘repentance’ to me…which involves coming back to Him with “all our heart”.

Yes…I went a little long today, but feel compelled to encourage you to review once again, Matt. 24:42-44 and 12:43-45.  Be blessed and encouraged...for your Father in heaven delights to show His favor to you.