In the Burt Reynolds movie, The End, the actor tries to kill himself with the aid of Dom DeLuise. At one point, Burt swims so far out in the ocean that he will likely drown. He changes his mind, and heads for shore, and tries to make all kinds of deals with God about saving him. When he finally gets to the beach, he finishes with “Thanks God” and ignores all of the supposed transactions he had proposed including obeying the ten commandments, weekly church, and everything in between.
Good and evil are both very obvious in our world. What is less apparent is the source of each of them. We are closest to God in times of trouble, and He is there to help us when we need Him. The Devil is closest to us when things are going well. Because his agenda is to rob and to kill, he needs something to rob and someone to kill. Ignorance of his presence in the world leaves a window open for him to climb through. It seems odd to me how we can acknowledge evil without considering it has a source.
God wants a relationship. The Devil wants a transaction. Some of those transactions are obvious to me. Adolf Hitler, an Austrian, was a failed artist and wounded WWI veteran. He made a deal with the Devil to become the most-powerful man in Europe. His contract ran out on April 30 ,1945 when the Devil came to collect his soul at the age of 56. The Devil’s promises are always of a specific duration. God’s promises are permanent and enduring. Now, this was quite a transaction for both Hitler and the Devil; most are not quite this dramatic.
An example of a less striking transaction might look like this: The Devil says, “I’ll give you that powerful car you want.” Followed later by, “It’s silly to use it to commute at 35 mph on the stuck freeway. Just slalom between the ‘slow pokes’ because you are a good driver. Use the shoulder if you need to. You won’t get caught.” The Devil wants control over a person’s life and takes him or her down the path one step at a time. He doesn’t tell the whole story. He doesn’t tell you the cost. Most sell out cheap. Why trade your soul for a new car when you can sell it for the resource-rich Ukraine?
God tells each of us the whole deal right up front. He even tells the cost. A relationship with the Creator of the Universe can start with one hour on Sunday mornings. God’s deal can be fraught with challenges, hardship, poverty, criticism, prejudice, and accusations from friends and family. The reward is first being able to please the Creator, and second getting to spend all eternity in a place called Heaven.
Both want you forever, but the deals are very different. When offered something, first consider the source, then the cost, and then decide.
A Guy Named Bob 