sin

Mouse in the House

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

We have a mouse problem in our house. Yes, we’ve seen mice. It seems they like to taunt us, running to and fro throughout the living room as we sit and watch. We hear them feasting on the poison bait that we’ve set out for them. If we’re lucky, we’ll find the dead bodies the next morning. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. I’m thankful that we haven’t noticed any bad odors, but I wonder where they go to die if not on my living room floor.

But now I’m hoping we’ve turned a corner for the good. I don’t want to be braggadocious, but we may have found a solution to keep our house rodent free. We’ve discovered a product that is supposed to repel all rodents with a high frequency sound that isn’t heard by humans. The first night these night lights were plugged in, we heard a bit of mouse noise but didn’t see any mice. I want to say that so far it seems to be working. We’re hoping to keep the winning streak going.

The problem with the mice is that we don’t know how they’re getting into the house. We’ve seen evidence of them in the kitchen, and we’ve seen them dead and alive in the living room. Oh. We had the same problem last year and never figured it out. But this year, we’ve already seen more mice in one month than we did all last winter. That’s a problem in my book. We did plug one hole in the kitchen with steel wool, so hopefully that problem is solved. But we have no idea how they are getting into the living room.

I walked into one room the other day, and I thought I noticed a bad odor. It smelled like a rotting carcass. It’s rather faint and intermittent, so I’m not sure if it’s real or imagined. If it’s real, then the evidence is hidden and I’ll have to find it. I’m not looking forward to that. I’ve started an investigation, but I haven’t found anything. I’m afraid to do a thorough search, because this is one time I don’t really want to find what I’m looking for.

I can’t say that our house is free of mice. It may take some time and some waiting. We’ll have to watch and look for evidence. Or maybe we’ll hear a mouse but not see one. It’s a bit of a wait and see time for us right now. Time will tell if these new magical night lights work long term.

Then just yesterday morning, as I was walking to the kitchen I saw it. A dead mouse near the front door. At least it was dead. That’s what I tell myself. When we installed the repellant night lights, I knew we might need to get a few more to thoroughly block the mice. Now I know where I need to place a few more. I’m glad they found the new treasure trove of poison traps in the laundry room that did the work. But my goal is complete eradication of these pests. I don’t want them lurking anywhere in my house.

I also noticed a couple of days ago that the poison trap I had set out near the front door last year was empty. It wasn’t touched last year, but I guess the mice are hungry this year. I need to replenish my supply of bait.

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14

When we repent of our sins and surrender our lives to Christ, we are free from sin. The burden of carrying the weight of unforgiven sins has left us. We are free. But here’s the thing. We can’t keep on sinning. We must turn our back on any sins that had a stranglehold on us and walk away from that life. Otherwise, we’re like the mice that keep returning. We don’t need to return to our old way of life, because we live by another standard. We live by biblical standards and beliefs once we’ve rejected sin. We can’t just dodge sin. We must reject all acts of sin in our lives.

As new believers, we need to put barriers in our life to keep us from veering back to sin. We’re living a different life now. In this new forgiven life, we’re now living under the crucifixion of Christ.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. Galatians 6:14

Just as I’m unsure yet if I’m smelling a rotting mouse carcass, sin can sneak in and entice us when we least expect it. The thing about sin is that we can’t wait to sniff it out. We must remove it immediately before it takes hold in our lives. Oh. We’ll notice the odor all right, because it doesn’t come off as a fine fragrance. It’s rotten to the core. And now that I know the mice have found a new path of travel in my house, I need to button down that area with more nightlights to ward them off. The same goes for my spiritual life. I need to equip myself every day with the full armor of God. Otherwise, a temptation to sin could catch me off guard.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Most of us are not consistent spiritually because we are more concerned about being consistent externally. ~Oswald Chambers

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:12-14

Don’t Burn Down the House

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

He said he likes to burn things, so he asked the neighbor if he could help burn their huge brush pile. Honestly. We didn’t like the looks of it and were afraid they would never get around to it. It’s mostly gone now, thanks to the man of the house. The small pile that’s left to dispose of was left there by the previous owners. Who knows how long it’s been sitting unattended. He was thinking of leaving that section alone, since rodents and other vermin may now call it home, but he has begun clearing it out. The part that has been burned was fresh brush from this spring when the new owners cut down all the trees.

But here’s the problem. It gets really windy in our neck of the woods. And if you’re not paying attention, you could start a fire on a windy day. Or if it doesn’t seem too windy at first, you could suddenly find yourself in a wind storm. That’s a problem when a fire is going. At least, that’s what we discovered last week.

The fire in the firepit was smoldering when he suddenly noticed some smoke in the mulch near the garage. He couldn’t figure out what was causing it until he took a closer look. A spark had blown over and set the house on fire. Oh. It didn’t burn out of control, but we now have a burned spot in the lower edge of the garage siding. Perhaps future landscaping will hide the incident. But he has discovered extra siding in the shed, so maybe that will take care of the issue. We’ll see.

Now I understand why some of the surrounding counties have issued burn bans. They know we’re in a drought like season where fires can easily and quickly get out of control.

There’s always a lesson we can learn when we own a home and try to stay current with the upkeep. You never know what issues will come your way. And they’re usually unannounced and uninvited. And unaffordable. But that’s the way life goes, isn’t it?

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. James 4:17

We may find ourselves presented with a temptation to sin when it’s least expected. We’re minding our own business, perhaps even helping someone else. And bam! Along comes a temptation and we find the wall of our house smoldering with a small flame of temptation. And the temptation becomes so strong that it burns the siding of our house. Oh, we say. We didn’t see that one coming. But what were we caught up in when the temptation arose? Were we minding our own spiritual business? Did a stray spark of temptation blow our way when we weren’t watching? Was it necessary for us to put ourselves in that situation? Could it have been avoided?

How do we actually define unexpected temptation? Or do we say any temptation is unexpected? Oh. We can set ourselves up for a temptation when we get carried along in some activity or conversation that begins moving in a dangerously sinful direction. We can stop the temptation in its tracks, can’t we? Absolutely. But what if we are drifting into temptation by subtly ignoring warning signs? And then we can’t understand why suddenly we’re faced with a temptation to say yes to something we should say no to, or to say no to something we should say yes to. Were we really caught offguard?

Temptation does enter our lives unannounced. What fun would it be to Satan if he told us ahead of time that he was going to tempt us with something that seemed good but had eternal consequences? Would we invite him into our homes and ask him to sit down and explain it in detail? Would we be excited to know that we were being offered a sinful experience? Knowing it could cost us an eternal presence with our Lord and Savior, would we be willing to entertain Satan and his lofty ideas?

Just as a reminder, here’s the definition of sin. Anything that goes against the will of God is sin. If God disapproves and hates it, it is sin. Sin is rebellion against God and breaking his laws.

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:14-15

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 1 John 3:4

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:12-14

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

We must guard our hearts and thoughts and desires against the schemes of Satan. We must use wisdom in our everyday decisions. We have the power to choose between right and wrong, good and evil. We have the power and authority to say no to anything that displeases God. We always have a choice. We have the final say in our decision to choose to sin or to obey God. God allows us that. He won’t intervene in our decisions and force us to obey him. So it’s our choice. Always.

We don’t have to burn the house down just because the wind blows hot embers near it. We can keep the sparks of sin at bay by staying vigilant and by studying God’s word and saying no to temptation. Just as we can follow the burn bans, we can also follow God’s commands and walk in obedience.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

Unearned Favor

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

We moved to a new state eleven months ago. This new state doesn’t have the bank where we have banked for our entire marriage. So, throughout the last months, we have been slowly moving checking and savings accounts to a new bank closer to home. It’s been a process. Stopping and restarting automatic payments and deposits. Hoping we haven’t forgotten any. I think we’ve finally crossed the finish line with the previous bank. Oh. We didn’t have any complaints with the former bank. We just needed a bank that was close to home. Not two states away.

We happened to be near a branch of the old bank a couple of weeks ago, so we stopped in to finally close out all the accounts. It was the end of an era. As we sat down with the bank manager, he pulled up our accounts. He calculated any interest that might be owed on the small amount we still had in the bank so he could produce a final check for us. And then he said the words we all hope to hear but usually don’t. Do you have another account? I told him that we had already moved our investment accounts, so no. There are no other accounts.

But lo and behold. There was an account in the name of the man of the house. It had sat dormant for many years. And the balance in that account blew us away. How could an account with that much money be forgotten and set aside? How does that happen? I don’t know. But it did.

I have to confess. As I sat there, I created in my mind a long list of ways to spend that wad of unknown money. We had hit paydirt. Oh no. Don’t get me wrong. We weren’t suddenly wealthy. But when you’re told you have a nice amount of money coming to you that you didn’t expect, you get a little excited. But I do have to admit that I sat there waiting for the shoe to drop. Would he discover that the account really wasn’t my husbands? Would the man have to come clean that what he thought was our account really wasn’t? But no. He didn’t. And we walked away with a lot more money than we had expected. It felt good to have that extra cash in our pocket.

What will we do with the money? You ask. I have no idea. Right now it’s sitting in a savings account accruing a very small amount of interest. But it’s ours, and it feels good. To be honest, I could have it spent in no time. Our new home has a host of updates that need to be made. Oh. We’re whittling down the list a little at a time, so every little bit of unplanned financial surprise is just that. A surprise.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

Did you know that the word grace was used 124 times in the New Testament? And the apostle Paul used that same word 86 times in his writings. Grace is undeserved favor in God speak. And grace is getting something that we shouldn’t get without working for it. But God gives it to us without charge to us. Oh. There was a payment for grace. A huge sacrifice. Anyone who knows anything about the Bible knows that the sacrifice was God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was crucified and died on a cross for the sins of every person who has ever had life. We didn’t have to ask for this favor. It was given to us freely. At least, it’s free for us. Someone did die for us to have that favor. And he did it willingly.

I think about the free gift of grace. It’s similar to the free money we discovered in a forgotten checking account. Oh. But this gift of grace is different.  It has eternal consequences.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

When I think of grace, I’m reminded of the neighbor who shoveled my driveway all winter.  And he asked if I minded if he did it.  And then another neighbor recently loaned us two window air conditioning units when our central air stopped working. They didn’t have to offer these acts of kindness to us, but they did it from the bottom of their hearts with no expectations of receiving anything in return. That’s what grace is. Good neighbors. Kind hearts. Acts of generosity.

Grace is an act of kindness we don’t expect or deserve.  It’s just given free of charge without any expectation of repayment.  So when the snow shoveling neighbor asked if we would mow his lawn while he was on vacation, you bet we said yes.  And when the air conditioning neighbor asked to use our water line and hose while he worked on a concrete project next door, you bet we agreed. 

God’s grace extends to everyone who calls on his name for salvation. We can also offer grace in a multitude of ways to those who need a helping hand or a favor. They may ask, but they may not. We can still offer a loving hand to help.

I remember the story of Jesus stopping to rest at a well outside of the town of Sychar in Samaria. He knew that a woman with a checkered past would come to the well in the heat of the day to draw water. She didn’t come with the masses of women during the cool morning hours, for fear of being rejected. She came alone when no one would be around. Except on this day, Jesus sat there waiting. He asked for water, and she was surprised at the request because he was Jewish. She knew Jews looked down on Samaritans. And then he offered her living water that would quench her thirst forever. She questioned how that was possible. So he told her of this living water that would change her life. And he continued on to tell her that he knew of her five husbands and that the man she currently lived with wasn’t her husband. He didn’t judge her or rebuke her. In love he offered her forgiveness and grace. Undeserved favor. And desperate for it, she gratefully accepted the invitation. And she ran and told the people of her town the good news.

Oh. Don’t be fooled. This woman from Samaria was very aware of the tensions between the Jews and her people. She knew exactly why Jews wouldn’t associate with people from her region, so she was very surprised when this obviously Jewish man sitting alone at the well asked her to get him a drink of water. She didn’t hesitate to serve him, but she had questions and he had the answer she didn’t know she needed.

You can read the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:4-5

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:24

Did the bank manager, out of the goodness of his heart, just randomly offer us a sum of money that wasn’t owed us? Did the neighbor just randomly choose me out of thin air to shovel my driveway? Did the other neighbor happen to walk down the street and assume our air conditioning wasn’t working because our windows were open? No. The banker realized the money legally belonged to us, so he set the bank right with us. The neighbor shoveled our driveway because he knew I was living alone. The other neighbor offered the two air conditioners when I happened to mention our situation during a random conversation. These men used the gifts they had to serve those who were in need. Oh. They didn’t have to offer anything, but they did. And that’s exactly what Jesus Christ offers to anyone who comes to him. He offers forgiveness, grace and mercy. He will wipe our slate of sins clean when we confess and repent. He will make us a new person ready and willing to serve him. The least we can do is bow in submission and receive the free gift of salvation that he is offering.

Kamikaze Sin

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

I’ve worn glasses for my entire adult life. And I’ve discovered a huge secret that probably anyone who wears glasses has also learned. Not only can we see better when we wear our glasses, but they can instantly get a smudge when we haven’t even touched the lens. I’ve never understood how that happens, but I’ve recently figured out what causes those annoying smudges that are not there one minute and impossible to miss the next. There must be invisible kamikaze drones that spray an undetected substance when they are in the vicinity of eyeglasses. That’s the only explanation I can figure out that makes sense.

I’ve never met a person who intentionally smears the lens on their glasses. If anything, we work hard to keep them clear so our vision is not compromised. But it’s a never-ending task. I don’t know about anyone else, but I find myself cleaning my glasses multiple times a day.

I’m perfectly content with my new theory. I just need some evidence that it holds true. If anyone has proof of life of these drones, please feel free to message me. Just as the drones in New Jersey appeared out of nowhere, so do these drones. I’m not sure if it’s a government plot to disrupt the life of glass wearers or some other nefarious plan.

In our daily lives, it seems there are times when a temptation comes out of nowhere and we “unexpectedly” sin. We may have to decide instantly how we will respond to the temptation staring us in the face. If we give in, we may try to defend our actions by blaming it on today’s culture. Everyone is doing it, so it’s ok. Those sins that come out of “unexpected” temptation could be categorized as kamikaze sins. They catch us unaware and, for some reason, we aren’t prepared to reject the temptation. So we give in when we have vowed not to. Perhaps what it amounts to is that we’re not steady enough on our spiritual feet to say no. We’re willing to risk eternal separation from God for a moment’s pleasure, to save face or acceptance by others we hold in high esteem.

But. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Think about that. We don’t want to offend others, but we’re willing to offend God. At a moment’s notice, we may be tempted to steal or lie. Or any number of sinful acts. Why do we do it? Oh. We’re all born with a sinful nature, that’s for sure. And perhaps, in our inner life that no one but God sees, we dwell on things that displease God. And then when we are tempted, we show no resistance. After all, it’s been on our mind for days. And the opportunity to act on that thought is right before our eyes. How can we turn away and say no?

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) Romans 8:3-9

Sin is a taboo subject these days. Even when we know we’re sinning, no one wants to admit they’ve offended God. Because when we admit it, then we have to do something about it. We either ignore God’s warning and continue on with our lives, or we repent and turn away from sin. It seems it should be an easy decision, but we’re selfish people and we want our way in life.

I’ve read recently that sin is autonomy. We choose to live by our own law. We decide what is permitted or not in our lives. We decide what’s right or wrong. We don’t hand that heavy responsibility to God, who has already determined right and wrong for everyone. Mankind wants to be free of God, so we crown ourselves as our own god. And we don’t let anyone or anything tell us what to do.

But when we believe there is a God, we hand over all the ownership to God. He defines the rules. He determines good and evil, and we must bow to his measures. Then when we feel the gaze of God upon us and our sin, we become very, very uncomfortable. Being confronted with our sin moves us to a decision of repentance or rejection of God.

Oswald Chambers writes in his classic devotional “My Utmost for His Highest”, “have you made the following decision about sin — that it must be completely killed in you? It takes a long time to come to the point of making this complete and effective decision about sin. It is, however, the greatest moment in your life, once you decide that sin must die in you — not simply be restrained, suppressed, or counteracted, but crucified — just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world.”

So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 7:14-25

If you haven’t chosen to repent of your sins, today is your day. Jesus will welcome your prayer of confession and repentance and forgive all your sins. He will give you a new heart and a desire to please him. You can pray the following simple prayer that Billy Graham used in his crusades to invite people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.

If it is difficult to get right with God, it is because we refuse to make this moral decision about sin. But once we do decide, the full life of God comes in immediately.

Oswald Chambers

Crabgrass Invasion

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The Israelites were at it again. They were disobeying God. Oh. Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, but he left a remnant of Jews in the land. God had sent him to destroy the city of his favored people, because they had ignored his commands and disobeyed him for generations. They worshipped false gods. They lived in wickedness and even sacrificed their own children to these false gods.

Then when their lives were devastated by the destruction of their city and country, they ran to the prophet Jeremiah asking him to pray for them. They wanted a message from God. They wanted God to tell them what to do and where to go. And they told Jeremiah that they would do whatever God told them to do. Even if they disagreed with God’s command, they would still do it. Scouts honor.

Ten days later, Jeremiah came back to them with a message from God. And the one thing they didn’t want to hear was what they heard. Oh. They had already made up their minds that they were going to run to Egypt and escape the hardship of living in their desolate homeland of Judah. They wanted an easy life, and they thought they would find it in Egypt. But God said no. Stay in Judah. Do not go to Egypt. So they got mad and accused Jeremiah of lying. They were furious. How could they be expected to stay in a land they wanted to leave?

The remnant of people left Judah and went to Egypt, in full knowledge that they were disobeying God’s direct command. They had heard the warning that if they went to Egypt they would never leave there alive. They heard how they would die from war, famine or disease. Their stubborn hearts would not consider surrendering to God’s invitation to rebuild their lives in their homeland. Their hardened hearts would not allow them to believe God when he told them they no longer had to fear the king of Babylon. They didn’t listen when he told them that he would be merciful to them by making the Babylonian king kind to them. So they left knowing full well that God’s anger and fury would follow them to Egypt. They heard God’s warning that they would never see their homeland again. And they went anyway.

God knew the Judeans would disobey him when they said earlier that they would obey him even if they didn’t want to. He knew they had their hearts set on going to Egypt. He knew they would disobey him. And he allowed them to disobey. He allowed them to go and destroy their lives even further.

You can read this part of Judah’s story in Jeremiah 42-44.

So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? Luke 6:46

I did some weeding in my flowerbed one morning while it wasn’t too warm outside. I had been noticing that crabgrass had begun forming a border along the driveway and sidewalk. It wasn’t a look that spoke to my heart, so I set out to remove the unwanted weed. As I pulled on the weeds, they came up easily. But I noticed in a couple of places where I pulled up the crabgrass that the concrete was damaged. I’m no expert of weeds, so I don’t know if crabgrass would damage a sidewalk. Or, does crabgrass thrive in concrete areas that are already weak or cracked? I don’t know.

All I knew was that I needed to get control of the crabgrass before it fully invaded my yard. I couldn’t let even a little bit stick around or it would soon destroy any remaining grass. Weeds left untended will take over an entire space. The ugly, unsightful weeds will cause harm where least expected. Not only crabgrass but any other weed left to its own devices will take control.

The problem was that I didn’t remove all the crabgrass that day. The sun was shining, and it became warm. I was uncomfortable, so I didn’t finish the job. And I didn’t walk far enough down the sidewalk to see how far the crabgrass had spread. I went indoors to my cool air-conditioned house knowing full well that I had left some crabgrass to grow freely. I didn’t seem to bother me, or I would have stayed outside and removed it.

God won’t force obedience on anyone. He won’t force us to do anything we don’t want to do. But if he requires something of us, then not doing so is an act of disobedience. God knows what is best for us, even if we don’t like his plans. He won’t lead us down some dark and dusty path and leave us all alone. And if we allow the weeds of disobedience and sin to grow in the corners of our hearts and minds, then we leave ourselves open to moral and ethical rot and decay. Sin separates us from God.

God never condones sin. He never approves of words or actions that he has already said go against his will. But he will punish disobedience. And that disobedience if left untouched will lead us to death and destruction for eternity, if we don’t remove it from our lives.

But the good news is this. He will forgive our sins when we confess them.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

Sin’s Deception

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I’ve begun reading about sin. Sin. It’s an ugly word. But it looks beautiful. It is attractive and desirable. Sin makes you acceptable to people who ignore God, and it makes them comfortable when they’re with you. But sin separates us from God.  What do we want most? To be acceptable by everyone surrounding us? Or do we want to be found acceptable to God? It’s our choice.

In his book, Know Your Enemy, Graham Beynon gives us some pointers about sin. I thought it would be helpful to stop and consider what sin really is and what it does to us.

Sin is disobedience to God’s Word.  We do not want to be governed by God’s law.  We make ourselves the god of our lives when we take away God’s authority.  We live as if we know what’s best for us, rather than seeking the will of our perfect Heavenly Father, who sacrificed his only Son for our sins.

In any form of sin, we are acting in open hostility to God. It seems harsh to say that, but participation in a sinful life is not an act of loving God. How can it be? We can’t say we love God and then intentionally disobey him. Sin is outright rebellion.

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.  1 John 3:4

Sin involves losing faith in God. Satan sows seeds of doubt about God and his commands for how we are to live.  Satan twists and distorts God’s word, so we will doubt God’s character.  For example.  God says he loves us, but then he allows hardships to come into our lives.  Why would a good and perfect God do that?  If God is generous, why does he restrict us from doing certain things? I must ask myself.  Have I ever questioned God’s goodness?  If so, what caused me to doubt?  Am I willing to turn the tables on those doubts and study the Bible until I’m reconvinced that God is always and forever good even when my circumstances may not be? How can we say our faith in God is strong if we deliberately choose to sin against him?

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31

Sin involves believing lies.  In order to separate us from our belief in God, Satan has to distort the truth.  He has to convince us that what we once thought was truth isn’t.  Satan has to win our confidence.  At times, it’s a hard sell for him.  Other times.  He’s got an easy job.  How hard do we make it on Satan to convince us that his lies are the truth?

We can believe that our disobedience is actually good for us. That sin is right. It can be easy to convince ourselves that our actions or our words or even our intentions are good. But if we’re truly honest with ourselves, we know that we’re rotten to the core. We know that we’re self-centered, but we won’t admit it. And we definitely don’t call it sin. We believe the lie that sin has told us. We resist the truth, because the lie seems easier to live with. Until it isn’t.

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

Sin will always be attractive.  If sin was actually ugly, would we be interested?  Honestly?  We want to look at beauty.  We want to be involved with beautiful people.  We want to drive fancy cars and wear the latest fashions. We want others to want to know us. We long to be part of the in crowd.  We want to be attractive to others, so we look for things that attract us.  We don’t have any interest in ugly.  So, Satan knows how to attract us to his evil schemes.  Make wrong look right and make right look wrong. 

Sin won’t look live an ugly man with glowing eyes, dressed in a red robe and carrying a pitchfork. Oh. No. Sin will be pretty and easy. It will be more appealing than not sinning. Because not sinning means denying ourselves something that seems so right and good and beautiful. But sin will lead to eternal death.

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  James 1:14

Sin never delivers on its promise. When we sin, we believe something about God that isn’t true. And once we’ve committed that sin, it loses its allure. Suddenly, the shiny apple has dulled. The new has worn off. And we’re left feeling used and worn. Maybe not at first. But, after awhile. After believing the lie that sin has told us, we’ll realize that the lie isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

What was once appealing has now been exposed as a lie. The happiness we thought we would find didn’t last. And we find ourselves in an uncomfortable situation. How can we get back to where we once were? How can we regain our innocence?

We have the option to believe truth or lies. And once we’ve lived with believing lies, we can turn back to the truth. We don’t have to believe lies and live in sin all of our days. We can turn back to belief in God. God keeps all his promises. All the time. In his time.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Hebrews 10:23

Don’t Be A Copycat

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

When I was in the seventh grade, a boy asked if anyone in our group was religious. Someone said I was. I quickly responded. No. Not because I knew the difference between being religious and being a Christian. But because I didn’t want to be seen as different. I wanted to fit in with the others. I didn’t want my group of friends to abandon me or mock me. They never had before. But would they now that my “religious” status had been spoken out loud? I didn’t want to find out. I just wanted to be like everyone else.

The same happens today. We call ourselves Christian yet we blend in with unbelievers so well that no one knows the difference. We don’t stand out as having different values or beliefs. We live as close to the line as we can get and try to call ourselves holy. But. Christians can’t move back and forth across the line when it’s convenient or comfortable. We must live on the side of holiness regardless of what it costs us. It won’t be easy. It won’t be popular. But it is biblical. 

Perhaps we only call ourselves Christians in private, because we don’t want others to think less of us. We don’t want them to start watching to see anything unusual in our behavior or speech. We don’t want to seem odd. We just want to fit in and be like everyone else. We want to be accepted. All the while wearing our blurred out Christian label. Oh. We’re wearing the label, but we don’t want others to see it.

We can’t disguise ourselves as Christians and expect God to call our behavior good. God knows us as we truly are. He knows our intentions and he knows our thoughts. Even if only our thoughts are wicked, God knows. But what we don’t realize is that even if our actions are good, our intentions may not be. We try to be the type of person we think others expect of us, all the while seething with hatred and resentment on the inside.

Let me just say this. Satan is not your friend. When we clothe ourselves in the approval of others. When we share on social media our shiny, almost perfect looking lives that match the world’s, we’re only fooling ourselves. The God who created us sees us for who we really are. We can’t pretty up sin.

God will transform us into a new person if we open ourselves up to his guiding hand. He won’t steer us down the wrong path. That’s what Satan does. And we can’t mix up the two. And we can’t intertwine them. They will lead us down totally separate paths. One is destructive. The other, although hard, is good and pleasing and perfect.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2

As believers, we are set apart to God. If we’re copying the behavior of those who aren’t believers, what sets us apart? What makes us different? Do we assume that our lives will look the same as everyone else’s after we become Christians? Shouldn’t we be different from those who don’t call themselves Christians? What is it about a believer that is different from a nonbeliever?

God calls us to be holy, because he is holy. So what does that mean for us? What does that look like?

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

Are we up for the task of living a holy life?

If we don’t read the Bible, we don’t know the Bible. And if we don’t know the Bible, we don’t know God. So it’s no wonder that we copycat the behaviors of those who are unbelievers. It’s no wonder we look and act and think like them. Because we’re not looking and acting and thinking like God. We run away from Him when we run toward the behavior and customs of the world. We don’t refuse to bow to the idols of today’s culture. We give in to the ideas of today’s society. So we can fit in. How can we fit into today’s culture and still fit into heaven when God calls us into eternity?

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. 2 Corinthians 1:12

Satan will try to outsmart us if we aren’t familiar with his evil schemes. He will manipulate us into believing bad is good and good is bad. All we have to do is scroll through social media and it stares us in the face. Watch the news and see all the evil swirling in our midst. And some people applaud it. Do we recognize the difference between Satan’s temptations and God’s direction?  

so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11

When we deliberately choose to follow Satan’s lead, our hearts will harden to the will of God. It won’t be an overnight hardening. It will be gradual. And it may not be noticeable. Until one day, the veil over our eyes and heart is so heavy, we’ve walked far away from God. Oh. The veil can be lifted if we call on our Lord and Savior to forgive us. We can walk in his path of forgiveness. But it’s an intentional daily decision to follow God’s ways. And it will look nothing like Satan’s lies.

But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:14-18

Satan is the god of the world.  That doesn’t mean he controls it.  He is under God’s authority and God has him on a leash.  The evil he does is allowed by God in order to fulfill God’s will.  That may sound strange or wrong, but God is always in control.  When he gave us freedom to choose right or wrong, he knew that Satan would try to maneuver his way into our lives any way possible.  So we have to choose God in order to live a holy life.  We can’t be a copycat of Satan. Because if we aren’t living in line with God’s will, we’re living in line with Satan.  

We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. 2 Corinthians 4:2

Scorched

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

The pan of oats was cooking on the stove. I would stir it repeatedly when I had a chance. I didn’t keep an eye on it throughout the whole process because I was busy doing other things. Washing dishes. Baking. Cleaning vegetables. So I wasn’t minding the oatmeal as thoroughly as I should have. But I would walk over and stir it as needed. I know that oats can easily stick to the pan if they’re not stirred constantly. And I wasn’t stirring constantly. I’ve cooked oatmeal many times, and I know what’s involved. But on this occasion I was trying to multitask, and the oatmeal didn’t have my undivided attention.

Later I smelled something burning and I couldn’t figure out what it was. I checked the vegetables roasting in the oven. No. They were fine. They weren’t burning. I was stirring the oats off and on, so they shouldn’t be burning. So I just ignored this scorched odor. When the oats were finished, I turned the burner off and set them aside to cool. I wasn’t just making one serving for my breakfast. I was making a batch of oatmeal to be eaten over several days. I like to batch cook for the week so my food is ready to heat up anytime I’m hungry. So on this particular day, I was cooking oatmeal for the week.

Once the oatmeal was cooled, I began dishing it into a storage container. That was when I noticed the burn on the bottom of the pan. The oatmeal had stuck to the bottom of the pan. Now there was a black char on the pan. That was what had caused the scorched odor.

I was able to preserve most of the oatmeal because it was only burned on the bottom. I knew the oatmeal I saved had some scorching running through it, but I saved it anyway. I thought it would be okay when I ate it over the next few days. I could pull out large clumps of burned oatmeal and eat the rest. It seemed a simple idea. But when I saw how burned the pan was, I knew I wouldn’t be able to clean it quickly or easily. I knew it would need to soak overnight. So that’s what I did. I put some cleaning solution in the pan and let it soak.

The next morning when I began cleaning the pan, not all of the burn came off. Some of it was still stuck on the pan. Some parts came clean pretty easily. But others not so much. I added more cleaning solution and water to start the soaking process all over again. Scraping wasn’t enough to remove all of the black soot from the bottom of the pan. And my goal was to get the pan as clean as possible. I wanted it to look as if it had never been burned. But I wasn’t sure if I had ruined the pan or not. Apparently only time will tell.

The batch of oatmeal isn’t all burned. Only the bottom portion of it is inedible. And only the bottom of the pan is scorched. Most of the oatmeal can still be eaten and enjoyed without the burnt taste. The pan can be used again once it is properly cleaned.

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17

When we repent of our sins and choose to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the burnt oatmeal of sin is removed from our lives. We still have scorch marks on us that represent the sins of our past. It doesn’t mean our lives are ruined. It means that we live with the results of our former sins.

Sin can creep into our lives if we aren’t paying attention. We ignore the quiet nudging of the Holy Spirit to stop a certain activity. Or we don’t act on the Holy Spirit’s leading. We allow activities in our lives that we once hated. We become accustomed to using certain words in our conversations that were once forbidden. We become comfortable with situations that were once uncomfortable. And we call it good. We become willing to work around the burnt oatmeal that is building up in our lives. After all, we are good people. That’s what we tell ourselves.

Some of those scorch marks can be easily removed. The burned char can be cleaned away with the act of forgiveness, but the results of that char representing the sin that has long encased our hearts can be hard to remove. It could be bad habits. Or it could be jealousy or greed or lying or lust. It could be just blatant selfishness. Sometimes a lot of work goes into erasing or cleaning up the results of black charred sin. So some of the black char may remain forever. It may always be present in our lives because while God’s forgiveness takes away that burden of sin, some acts of sinfulness have consequences which reap long lasting effects. Those can’t be easily scrubbed away with cleaning solution and soaking. Sometimes the result of those sins are lifelong. And we have to deal with the consequences for all the days of our lives on this earth.

It’s a lesson for us. When we make foolish decisions. When we choose selfish ways. When we know that our actions go against God’s will. There are consequences that sometimes can’t be easily wiped away in our lives. Yes, God forgets those sins when he forgives us. And to him they are no more. But the consequences in our human lives can still remain. That’s what we need to consider. Not just the fact that we’re sinning. But the consequences of those sins. When we make choices in our life. That moment of enjoyment. That so called fun activity or behavior that misrepresents God or rejects God or distorts his will. Those have consequences. So we have to be prepared to live with the results of our sin. While we still have breath, we can be forgiven. But that doesn’t make life easy and perfect.

Are You Broken?

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

How to get away with murder. The show. I’ve been binge watching it. Don’t ask me why. And please don’t judge. I know. I know. It’s full of scenes I don’t want to see. I started to watch the show a few years ago and stopped. Spoiler alert. They really were trying to get away with murder. I just couldn’t watch it then. But, for some reason, now I am.

A couple of the characters were abused as children. A couple others had distant fathers. One had a rocky childhood. One lost his mother by suicide. One had been in prison. Another had a criminal record. They all admitted that they were broken people.

In one of the episodes, one of the characters said they all deserved hell because of all the bad things they had done. Oh. I think he just spoke for all mankind. We all deserve hell. Because of all the things we have done. Not one of us born on this earth is good enough to escape hell on our own. We need help. We need someone to rescue us from our sins. We need a Savior.

And there is a remedy. There is a Savior. He gave his life for my sins and your sins. For my brokenness and your brokenness. For victims and victimizers. We can be forgiven and healed.

So when you think of yourself, do you consider yourself to be broken or sinful? Do you step outside yourself and look at who you really are and at what you’ve done? Do you try to soften the blow by saying you’re broken instead of sinful? Because, hey. Perhaps someone else’s sin is what broke us. And some sin has broken the one who broke you. And, in spite of all the brokenness around us, we are all sinners. We don’t have to be broken to be sinners.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:8-9

Maybe it wasn’t my fault at all that I’m the way I am. But I do have a choice. I do have the ability to name my brokenness. And I can name my sin. Whether it’s your sin or my sin that caused my brokenness. It doesn’t change the fact that we are all sinners.

There is the mess that life gives you and there’s the mess that you make.

Annalise Keating (How to Get Away with Murder)

If we call our lives messy or broken, it doesn’t really describe the gravity of our sins. It somehow softens the blow of sin. Oh. Our lives may be messy and broken as a result of someone else’s sin or our own, but sin is a result of disobeying God. How messed up is that? When do we take responsibility for our sins?

Just imagine standing at the foot of the Cross looking up to the One who died for those sins. We must compare our sins not to other people’s sins, but to God’s holiness. Since sin is rebellion against a holy God, it means that God can’t have any part of sin.

We cannot redefine what God calls sins and presume to identify that ethic as Christian.

Alisa Childers (Another Gospel)

Oh sure. Our brokenness may be on different levels. One person may have suffered massive loss or abuse. Another may have experienced deep depression or anxiety. Rejection by someone who has suffered at the hands of others can lead them to hurt still others. Sometimes our brokenness is due to someone else’s sin. Their sin is not my sin. But sin shouldn’t go by any other name.

Sin isn’t pretty and it isn’t helpful to soften it up with gentle words. Oh. It may make me feel better for a while, but the root of the problem is that I have sinned. Sin will separate me from God. Is that what I want?

Pride Comes Before A Fall

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King Saul was a hot mess. He had strict orders from God himself about the battle he was to fight. He and his army of 210,000 men were to kill every man, woman and child, along with all the animals of Amalek. Kill. Every. Living. Being. Leave. No. Survivors.

 It was a harsh command. But God had a reason. 400 years earlier, the Amalekites had attacked the Israelites out of greed. With God’s help, Israel won that battle. But God didn’t forget how his chosen people were attacked. He vowed to pay back the Amalekites. And he took his sweet time in doing it.

 Now that Saul was king, God wanted to test Saul’s obedience. And wow. Saul failed miserably. He partially obeyed God. He killed all of the Amalekites, except for their king. And he killed all the weak and useless animals. But he kept the best animals as plunder. Saul was proud of his accomplishment.

And after he did that, he rewarded himself by setting up a monument in his own honor.

When the prophet Samuel confronted him about it, he proudly announced that he had carried out the Lord’s commands. Then why do I smell and hear animals? Samuel asked. 

Have you ever disobeyed God and then have someone else point it out to you? Has another believer confronted you about the smelly plunder that you have brought into your life? And you deny the sin?

Saul was dumbfounded to learn that Samuel was accusing him of disobeying God. He had killed people and animals. He had won the battle. What had he done wrong? He couldn’t believe that Samuel thought he had tried to play God.

Here’s the thing. A partial lie is a full lie. A partial disobedience is a full disobedience. A partial sin is a full sin. It doesn’t matter if you’re King Saul or John Doe. 

Saul was more willing to offer a sacrifice to God than to obey Him. Sure, it’s easy to perform a legalistic ritual than it is to obey God’s command. But what does it get you? It’s still disobedience. It’s still sin.

Do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

But Saul. His heart had grown cold. He lived as though he was his own god and only needed to follow his own decisions and plans. He cast God aside and replaced Him with Saul as god. This battle was not his to win. This was a battle that God had planned and prepared for. It was retaliation on a country who were sworn enemies of God and Israel. There were to be no survivors of any kind.

Did Saul forget that he had disobeyed God’s command? Did he not hear the words spoken to him to spare no life? Human or animal? Pride comes before a fall. That’s what they say. And oh. When the mighty fall, they fall hard. Because of Saul’s lack of obedience and respect for God’s command, Samuel told him that he would lose his kingdom. His family line would not inherit the throne. No son of his would ever be king of Israel. Oh. How the mighty have fallen.

Once we start living with lies, we become immune to right living. We get to the point that we have lived in lies for so long that we no longer recognize the truth. We dishonor God by continually denying his existence. We reject his invitation to join in his family of believers. Saul was blind to his sin. He acted as if he was obeying God. But he either failed to realize, or ignored the fact, that partial disobedience equals full disobedience.

God says he wants our full obedience. He says if we aren’t hot in love with him or cold disobeying him, then we are lukewarm. We aren’t God’s children if we are lukewarm. We can’t be half in a relationship with him. It’s all or nothing. God wants our full heart. Our full allegiance.

Sure. It will be a sacrifice on our part. It will be an intentional act of walking away from behaviors and activities that seem pleasant, but are out of line with God’s commandments. It will mean that we say no when we’ve said yes in the past. Or perhaps, we say yes when we’ve always answered no before.

Has your heart grown cold toward God? Or do you recognize that you’re in a lukewarm state? God wants your whole heart. Obedience at all costs. Let’s do what is right. Let’s love mercy. Let’s walk humbly and obediently with our God. We won’t regret it.