“Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end?” (2 Samuel 2:26).

This devotion is to examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
I assume you have morals, and have some hope for a better life, or you wouldn’t be reading this devotion. It’s not necessary for me to accuse you of gross sins. I only want to help you see yourself as the Bible describes you.

I’ll assume you attend church occasionally and believe the Bible to some extent. I’ll even go so far as to assume you believe in God and respect the Christian religion as a useful way of seeing life. You may even believe Jesus died for your sins and was resurrected from the dead and live your life without the fear of Hell.

I’ll go even further. You could have a reputation of being an honest and compassionate person, willing to give the shirt off your back. Your closest friends might say you’re just, sober and courteous and an all-around great person. Yet, with all this, you "lack that one thing" (Mark 10:21), on which your eternal happiness depends.

I beg you to look seriously into your heart, and ask yourself this question: Am I truly living for God? Is the love of God the governing principle of my life? Do I walk under a sense of His presence? Is my normal conscious state one of “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17)? Do I speak with Him every day, in prayer and praise? Do I strive to “rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)?
    
Is serving Him the business and pleasure of my life because I know Him as my Savior and Master?  “By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are IN Him” (1 John 2:3-5).

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