When I was a kid we’d call a friend that left our group of friends to join another group a “flat-leaver.”

​

Many professing Christians choose to flat leave GOD (or what He has provided) in favor of who or what they believe has more ‘star quality.’ They justify their actions by telling themselves, “It’s the 21st century for Pete’s sake! I have a right to upgrade my circumstances. I’m sure GOD wants this for me.” Intoxicated by the devil’s heady cocktail of pride, presumption, and the deceitfulness of sin, the prey has been ‘ruffied’ and readied to fall headlong into Satan’s trap.

​

Take a look at this verse from the book of Jeremiah:

​

“ ‘Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee; know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy GOD, and that My fear is not in thee,’ saith the LORD GOD of hosts.” (Jeremiah 2:19, KJV)

​

Wow! This verse is loaded. It teaches us that we flat leave GOD because we no longer reverentially respect Him or hold Him in high esteem; in this context that’s what the word ‘fear’ means. We may also infer from the verse that after flat leaving GOD, it will be the negative consequences that follow that will finally alert us to the wickedness of our sin. Then and only then will we recognize how evil and bitter the demonic set-up of flat leaving GOD truly was. By then many would have suffered great loss.

​

Children often fall in and out of favor with each other, but the nature of a child is to forgive, forget, and keep on playing. Unfortunately this is NOT the devil’s temperament. He drools at the thought of seducing his enemies away from GOD so that he may play with them like a cat with a mouse before utterly destroying them.

 

If you find yourselves thinking about flat leaving GOD; DON’T!

​

If you’ve done it already; GO BACK! Confess your sin, ask for forgiveness from GOD and those you’ve hurt, change your ways, and make restitution where possible.

​

The LORD is merciful and has taught us that:

​

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  (1 John 1:9, KJV)

 

Remember; flat leaving GOD is never child’s play!

​

DECLARE: “LORD JESUS, I repent for even thinking about leaving You. I renounce the spirit of backsliding. I receive instead a spirit of steadfast love for You and the spirit of the reverential fear of the LORD. Amen.”