I was in the grocery store, and I was in a hurry. I was trying to get all my errands run before my appointment, and I was rushing. Oh, I know it was all my fault, but here’s how the grocery shopping went. I rushed through the store, gathering up the items I needed. Then I went to stand in line, and there were three people in front of me with only one cashier working.
This grocery store is known for slow cashiers and even slower baggers. But there I was standing in line behind two people who were waiting for the one at the cashier to finish, and that transaction was taking awhile. I’m not sure why, but they were going slow. I dared not look at the clock because I didn’t know want to know what time it was. I knew my appointment was fast approaching, But here I stood with a cart full of groceries, and I was determined to pay for them and take them home with me.
First cart in line went through with a few items, and they went slowly. As the couple in front of me was checking out, I saw the cashier put a package of meat under the counter. Toward the end of scanning their groceries, the woman customer left the line and went to get a new package of meat. I was annoyed, to say the least. I knew I had little time, and here I was waiting for somebody to get another item. They had picked up one that had an expired date on it and didn’t want to buy expired meat.
As I stood there waiting impatiently, I reminded myself that I was the Christian here. I needed to represent Christ, just as he would have lived. But in that moment, I wasn’t feeling holy. I wanted to become like Jesus as he threw the the money changers out of the temple. I wanted to act in a holy rage and tell them I was in a hurry, and could they please move along. I wanted them to respect my schedule and my needs, but I stood there quietly. Yep, I drummed my fingers on the cart. I tried not to look at them, because I knew I wouldn’t have a happy look. I had an attitude problem. Finally, the woman reappeared with a new package of meat. They got checked out, and then it was my turn to have my groceries scanned.
I emptied my cart as fast as I could, and the cashier began scanning the items. He picked up a can of green beans that was dented, badly dented. He asked me if I wanted the dented can. Yes. I said I don’t have time to get another can. And he said, I’ll give them to you for 50 cents or for $1. Which would you prefer? I don’t care. So he settled on $1.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8
The Bagger was slow as always, taking his sweet time. I finally had to help him put the groceries in my cart because he was just dawdling. I don’t know what goes through his mind. He never has a sense of urgency about doing his job. As we were putting the last items in the cart, he almost forgot one bag. So I had to hurry and put it in my cart. I needed to leave. I rushed to my car and unloaded all my groceries. As I pulled away from the grocery store, I realized I still had 30 minutes before I needed to get to the next appointment. I was going to make it on time. Why was I even worried? Why did I let myself get into such a stew over nothing?
When the spirit or the heart is the stage whereon sin is enacted, it is a spiritual sin; such are all impure thoughts, vile affections, and desires which do not break forth into overt action but are nonetheless real acts of the inner man. As with all sin, Satan is the great, unseen instigator of every sin of the heart. Keep a close watch on your heart.
~William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour
My bad attitude might not have been obvious to the people standing near me in that grocery store, but I knew that God had seen it. I knew that he was probably shaking his head knowing I had plenty of time to get to my next appointment. And then once I got to my destination, I would have to sit in my car for 15 minutes before going into the office. Otherwise I would have been waiting an extra long time in the doctor’s office.
And I just have to ask, why do I do this to myself? Why do I get all in a tizzy for no reason? I don’t know. It’s just the way I’m made. Probably nobody else in history has this same problem, but there I am being so human. And all the while knowing I’m a Christian and I don’t know if these other people are, and they were kind. The woman was apologetic for having to leave the line and get a new item. Yet I was frustrated. Thank goodness I didn’t actually say anything, because there was no need. I knew there was no need, but in my frustration I had plenty of unkind thoughts swirling in my head.
I can’t even say, Father forgive me, for I know not what I do, because I knew what I was doing. I knew my attitude was wrong. I knew my thinking was wrong, and I thought it anyway. So still I must say, Father, forgive me, especially when I know I’m wrong. Help me to be more like you in my words, in my actions, in my thoughts, in my attitudes, in the way I approach people. Help me to show kindness. Even if someone isn’t doing a good job. I can help them. I can be a good example. Help me, Father, I need you.
I need Thee every hour, Most gracious Lord; No tender voice like Thine Can peace afford.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee; Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour, Stay Thou near by; Temptations lose their power When Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour, In joy or pain; Come quickly and abide, Or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour, Teach me Thy will; And Thy rich promises In me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour, Most Holy One; Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
We’ve just walked through Holy Week. The last week before Jesus was crucified. It got me thinking. What did my week consist of? I bought groceries. I went to the meat shop. I did laundry. I had two chiropractor appointments. I volunteered with my Awana group at church. I went to a senior dinner at church. I attended the Good Friday service. What exactly was holy about my week?
And then I think about the week that Jesus had. It was a busy week for him. Jesus was well aware that his life was on the line. Oh. I’m not talking about his sacrificial death to redeem us from our sins. I’m talking about the threats he received from those who led the political and religious happenings of Jerusalem. His teachings had stirred up the leaders who secretly met to plot his death.
Jesus and his disciples had spent much time traveling and teaching in what could be called modern day Jordan. It was an area outside the reach of the powers of Jerusalem. There he could continue the final days of his ministry at a safe distance from where the events of the final week would occur. I guess this week could be considered the calm before the storm. I wonder if the disciples sensed a shift in his mood. Were they aware how close they were coming to the end of his earthly ministry? Or, were they all caught up in teaching and performing miracles that they didn’t realize what was ahead? It wasn’t as if he hadn’t warned them. But since his words were cloaked in mystery, they didn’t quite understand or believe him when he told them of what he would face.
As Jesus and his disciples began their trek into Jerusalem in preparation for Passover, he kept his ministry low-key. He avoided crowds, because he didn’t want to be spotted. So, when he returned to Bethany, he stayed with Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. Yes, this was the Lazarus who Jesus had earlier raised from the dead. They were close friends, and Jesus knew he needed to prepare for the path that was ahead for him. He was close enough to the epicenter of Jerusalem, yet far enough to rest in peace and quiet.
The thing is. He didn’t have to head into Jerusalem. He knew that’s where the events to end his life would take place. But he walked head on into the next week with his head held high. He walked into that week knowing that he was the Son of God, and he would fulfill his Father’s plan for his life. Even when it cost him his earthly life. He didn’t back down from what lay ahead. He didn’t try to take the easy way out. He surrendered to his Father’s will.
Palm Sunday. Jesus had instructed his disciples to have a donkey prepared for him to ride into Jerusalem. As he rode down the streets that first day of the week, the crowds waved palm branches and threw down their coats for the colt to walk on. They did this in submission to him. They recognized him for who he truly was. The long-awaited Messiah.
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Matthew 21:9
House Cleaning Monday. Have you ever walked into a room and saw something you never expected? That’s exactly what happened to Jesus the day after the people recognized him as the Promised Messiah. Vendors were desecrating the Holy Temple. They had set up stalls and were selling their goods in the place where the Scriptures were read and discussed on the Sabbath. In the place where people came to offer sacrifices, the religious leaders had allowed commerce to replace the sacred call to worship.
Jesus knew that faith wasn’t a commodity to be bought on a Monday. He knew there was a better place to set up a farmer’s market than the Temple. It was with a righteous anger that he overturned the tables of those exchanging money. And with holy authority, he spoke words that dug deep into the hearts of those who heard. They knew exactly what he meant, and they knew their greed had been exposed.
He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Matthew 21:13
Teaching Tuesday. Jesus had once again spent the night in Bethany, but then returned to the city the following morning. He again went to the Temple, where he had serious debates with the Pharisees and Sadducees about many issues. He talked about taxes, and he challenged them as they questioned his authority. He shared parable after parable with the crowds, and he prophesied about how the Temple would one day be destroyed. The Sadducees questioned him about the resurrection, and Jesus silenced them with his wise response. When the Pharisees learned the Sadducees couldn’t trip up Jesus, they came and questioned him about which of the commandments was the greatest. At the end of the day, the religious leaders were quieted by his wisdom.
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. Matthew 21:45-46
And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. Matthew 22:46
Betrayal Wednesday. It was Wednesday when the scene began to shift. Things took a serious turn when Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples specifically chosen by Jesus, arranged a meeting with the chief priests. I wonder if they had any suspicions about his intent when we came to them. But he opened with the door they were looking for to take down the one who always bested them with his exact teachings. They finally had an opportunity to remove the threat to the control they wielded. Oh. It wasn’t about their faith. That wasn’t even a thought. It was revenge.
They had found a traitor from within the inner circle of the man they hunted. I’m sure they rubbed their hands together with glee as they plotted his takedown. The mark was now in sight. They no longer had to hunt him down or try to trick him into blaspheming himself. One of his own had just handed him over. But what this traitor didn’t know at the time was that he had just sold his own soul to the one who could never offer redemption.
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Matthew 26:14-16
Maundy Thursday. Jesus wanted to celebrate the Passover dinner with the Twelve, so he instructed some of them to make the arrangements for the meal. And in that upper room, as they sat and feasted, he took bread and broke it. Telling them the bread was broken in place of his body. And the wine they drank represented his blood that would be spilled. He then washed their feet in reverence and humility, showing a true servant’s heart. Oh. He told them that one who sat at the table with them would betray him. In disbelief, eleven had the fright of their lives. The twelfth one knew he had been outed. He left quietly to fulfill his plan of betrayal.
After the dinner, Jesus took three of his disciples with him to the Mount of Olives. He was greatly burdened because he knew what was ahead for him that very night. He asked his disciples to pray with him. They fell asleep instead.
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39
But the night wasn’t over just yet. As he was speaking to the disciples who were with him, Judas appeared with temple guards. Judas leaned over and kissed Jesus on the cheek to show that he was the man who should be arrested.
Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Or Friend, why are you here? Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. Matthew 26:48-50
After seizing Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the guards brought him before Caiaphas and the entire council. They were looking for false witnesses who would testify against Jesus. Of course, they found a couple of men who were willing to say anything. But Jesus didn’t respond. He kept quiet when they pressed him. And then when Jesus did speak, they accused him of blasphemy. Now. They could finally sentence him to death. This was what they had been waiting for for so long. In the middle of the night, without any rest, Jesus was forced to stand trial for crimes he didn’t commit.
But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are; the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Matthew 26:63-66
Good Friday. As soon as it was morning, Jesus was bound and turned over to Pontius Pilate, who was the governor. It was the custom to release a prisoner at this time during the Passover celebration, so Pilate thought he might be able to maneuver his way into releasing Jesus. Because. The thing is. After questioning Jesus, he realized the man was not guilty. He hadn’t committed any crime. And when he asked the crowds of people which prisoner should be released, he gave them an option. Jesus or Barabbas, a violent murderer. But the crowds had been manipulated by the religious leaders. And they wanted Jesus to pay. With his life. So they yelled for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be killed. Those who just days earlier bowed in awe at the Promised Messiah now wanted him dead. Oh. How the tide had turned.
Pontius Pilate’s wife had warned her husband to have nothing to do with Jesus. So, in an act of resignation, Pilate got a bowl of water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. As if that act alone could release him from the guilt of sending an innocent man to his death. And he submitted Jesus to the crowd’s demand for death.
The soldiers stripped Jesus of his clothes, beat him and shoved a crown of thorns on his head. Then they handed him a cross and demanded he drag it up the hill to Golgotha where they would hang him on it. Weak from the beating and loss of blood, Jesus could barely walk, let alone carry a heavy wooden cross. In a last minute effort to relieve him, someone was selected to carry his cross. But no one was hammered on the cross in his place. He hung on the cross and died in front of a small crowd of witnesses.
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30
As his body was taken down before the Sabbath began, a follower of Christ stepped up and offered his tomb where Jesus’ body was placed.
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Matthew 27:57-60
Holy Saturday. It was a quiet day. It was a holy day. The Sabbath. No work was done. No celebrations. On that day, Jesus descended into Hell to proclaim victory over death. And he proclaimed freedom for righteous souls.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which the Spirit, in whom he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they did not formerly obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 1 Peter 3:18-20
Easter Sunday. Then came the morning. Day dawned and the stone rolled. Not by the strength of man, but by the power of God. And as two disciples ran to the tomb in the early morning hours, they stood in disbelief at what they saw. An angel stood by the stone that was no longer blocking the entrance. And when they looked in the tomb, it was empty. They ran to tell others. And later, Jesus appeared to a dazed Mary Magdalene who, in her confusion, didn’t recognize him. Until he spoke her name. Then she knew exactly who was standing there in front of her, alive as could be.
Jesus had risen from the dead and had walked right out of that tomb. That tomb that had held his lifeless and torn body overnight was suddenly empty. Jesus is alive!
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7
Oh. There is much more to this story than what I’ve shared here. You can read the details in Matthew 21-28.
Some may wonder why I’m writing about this scene of events when Holy Week is ending. Honestly, it never crossed my mind last week to consider the events of this week in such detail. But it did this week. And I bet I’m not the only one who didn’t think of it. It’s easy to overlook the happenings of someone else’s bad week unless we see it in print or photos or read about it. But this bad week in the life of Jesus of Nazareth proved to be the best thing that has ever happened for those of us who come behind.
We are now offered redemption for our sins, because Jesus paid the price by dying on the cross. In order to receive the free gift of eternal life, we must die to ourselves and receive his forgiveness.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10
When you read Numbers 31, you will find that God sent twelve thousand Israelite men to fight the five tribes of Midian. One thousand men from each of the twelve tribes fought the Midianites who were ruled by five kings. To understand why God wanted the Israelites to destroy the Midianites, we need to look at history.
God directed Abraham to leave the land of his forefathers to move to an unknown location. God told Abraham that he would show him where to go. And he did. Abraham, his wife Sarah and nephew Lot left the land of Haran and set out for Canaan. Due to a famine, they went through Egypt and landed in the hill country east of Bethel. Both Abraham and Lot owned large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, so they decided to split up instead of sticking together. Lot chose the more fertile land of the Jordan Valley, leaving Abraham to settle in Canaan.
Lot and his wife had two daughters. They eventually moved into the town of Sodom, which became so evil that God declared he would destroy it. He sent angels to warn Lot and his family to leave the town immediately, so he and his wife and daughters were forced to flee the next morning. The two men engaged to Lot’s daughters refused to leave with them. And as Lot and his family were running for the hills, his wife turned to look back at the destruction. God had strictly warned them against this, and she turned into a pillar of salt right on the spot. Lot and the girls kept moving forward.
The story turns very sordid, because the daughters knew they would never find other men to marry them and have families. They somehow decided to get their father drunk and sleep with him. And, lo and behold, they both became pregnant. By their father. They each had a son, and the boys were named Moab and Ammon.
The Israelites were descendants of Abraham who had one son, Isaac, with Sarah. Isaac’s son Jacob had twelve sons. These twelve sons and their descendants were the nation of Israel. After Abraham’s wife Sarah died, he had several sons with Keturah. One son named Midian then had five sons, who were named kings over their own tribes.
God commanded Israel to destroy the Midianites because their women had seduced the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality. God would have none of it, and they had to be destroyed for their evil behavior and influence over his chosen people. During the battle, Balaam a Moabite, was killed along with the Midianite man and the five kings. Balaam was a key figure in Midian’s fight against Israel. He had been very influential in advising the Midianites on how to turn the Israelites away from worshipping the One True God to worshipping false gods. He had encouraged the Midianite women to seduce the Israelite men into sexual immorality and idol worship.
The Israelites won their battle that day by killing the Midianite men. Then the Israelites took all the Midianite women and children captive and plundered Midian, taking all the cattle, flocks and goods. And finally, they burned what was left. Upon the order of Moses, all the Midianite women who were not virgins and boys were killed, as well. Only the virgin girls were allowed to live. This may seem extremely harsh, but God does not play around with the worship of false gods. He will exact revenge however he deems best, and the Midianite women were the instruments used to entice the Israelite men away from serving God. The Midianite culture taught boys to avenge their father’s death, so they too were a continual threat. It’s a gruesome story, but God was fed up with any evil nation that would lead his chosen people, the Israelites, to bow down to other gods. He would not stand for it.
Although they had not been instructed to kill the women and children, the women were not allowed to live because of their earlier participation in leading the Israelites into sin. God exacted the appropriate punishment upon them and used Moses to correct that wrong in a mighty way. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t fun, but it was necessary in order to wipe out the threat of the Midianites.
When they went home and all the Israelite soldiers were counted, not one of them had been killed. Yes. All twelve thousand soldiers survived this huge battle. Oh. Some may have been injured. And I’m sure there was physical, mental and emotional trauma they dealt with. But none of them died. We would ask today how that could happen. But let’s look at the source of their strength. The giver of life and the taker of life won the battle through them. Supernatural protection by our God Almighty is real. God’s vast providence and protection in the battle was immense in preparing the Israelites in future battles against the Canaanites.
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God. Psalms 42:5
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses and said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us. Numbers 31:48-49
You can read the full story of the Israelite victory over Midian in Numbers 31.
We may ask what this story tells us today about our fight with sin and temptation and disobedience to God.
When we walk faithfully with God, we will fight many spiritual battles in our lives. They don’t have to destroy us. We may walk away from those battles with scars and wounds, hurts and aches. But we will survive them. With God’s help, we can be victorious over the tests and temptations thrown at us. We can stomp on Satan’s plan to destroy us and come out walking closer to the Lord. He is with us in our battles and he will fight for us.
In this historical story of the battle with the Midianites, the Israelites were led by God to eliminate these enemies who had swayed their hearts from serving God. Sure. They won the battle, but there was still a cleansing to be done. They not only divided the spoils of war with the people, the officers generously gave an offering to the Lord in gratitude for his provision and protection. They showed a reverent obedience to the God who had spared their lives.
We too must live and act in gratitude for Jesus’ sacrificial gift of dying on the cross for our sins. It was a necessary, painful death required by his Heavenly Father. We too may be asked to suffer for our Lord and Savior. Will we be faithful in our calling to serve him regardless of the cost?
We must prepare for spiritual battles on a daily basis. We must stay in prayer, asking for God’s provision and protection in our battles. We must surround ourselves with godly people who can mentor and support us. We must remain in God’s Word, taking life from his message of forgiveness, hope, sacrifice, justice and mercy. With God’s help, we can be victors over Satan’s ploys.
Read God’s Word attentively. It gives a history of the most remarkable battles between the great soldiers of Christ and their adversary Satan. You can read how Satan has foiled them and how they recovered lost ground. There is not a lust of which you are in danger, but you have it disclosed; there is not a temptation which the Word of God does not arm you against. ~William Gurnell, The Christian in Complete Armour
I remember an incident from many years ago that makes me laugh still to this day. I was minding my own business buying groceries. Ahead of me was a woman with a little boy tagging along behind her. She was going about her business of filling her cart with groceries, not really paying much attention to her son. He was also paying no attention to her. He was just following his mom. At one point, he turned around to hang onto my grocery cart without looking back to see who was pushing it. As we walked along, I knew what was about to happen. And when he turned around and saw me instead of his mother, suddenly nothing was right in his world. I was not the person he was expecting to see. He screamed and cried, which caught his mom’s attention. Then he ran back to the safety of his mom’s arms and all was right with him.
In that brief second that he was suspended between fear and surprise, he didn’t know what to do. He was too young to figure out what was happening. All he expected was to see his mom when he turned around. And I wasn’t his mom. He wasn’t expecting to see a total stranger. When ahead of me, I could see his mom and knew exactly what was going to happen if he turned around and looked at me. And then he did.
If this little boy had continued to hang onto my cart and trudge along with me, his mother would soon have a problem. She would come looking for him, and he would have to return to her. I held no ownership over this child, nor did I want to. It would have been very inappropriate. He was his mother’s, and his mother was his. And that’s the way it was meant to be. I was not meant to be a party to their excursion.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
I had never heard the phrase “situational agency” until recently. I didn’t know the meaning of it, so I asked AI to define it and provide examples. Here’s what I learned. According to AI, situational agency refers to the capacity of an individual to act and make meaningful choices within the specific constraints and opportunities of a given situation. Clear as mud, huh? Basically, we can choose to act or resist within the boundaries of our immediate circumstances.
This definition sits clearly within the confines of choosing to sin or choosing not to sin when faced with a temptation. We have the power to choose how we deal with an “opportunity” to sin or to walk away from it. We aren’t powerless when it comes to sinful temptations. We can refuse to submit to the temptation. God gives us the autonomy to give into those temptations, yet we don’t have to. As children of God, we are made new when the stain of sin and the desire to sin is removed.
When we find ourselves near sin, we must run even harder and faster to the safety of our Heavenly Father. We don’t want to get caught up in sin or even be influenced by it in any way. We must keep our eyes on our Savior and not turn back without looking to see whose sinful cart we’ve attach ourselves to. We can muster the strength and will to push back against Satan’s schemes.
Psalm 1 tells us that we have a choice when it comes to sinning. We can choose to walk the path of sinners, or we can stand solid in our fear of the Lord. We can say no when tempted to sin. We don’t have to spend time with people who act in a wicked manner, tempting us to join them. We don’t have to accompany someone who is on a path of self destruction. We can stand alone in our faith. We can resist.
As the holidays have now passed and we were tempted to eat too many sweets, we always know that we can resist them. We don’t have to eat too many cookies. We can refuse them. And as believers in Christ, we have become a new person. Our old life is gone. We have been forgiven of our sins, so why would we want to sin again? We don’t have to.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord , and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1:1-6
The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
We must pray for God’s grace to help us resist temptations. We must ask God to guard our hearts and minds from being prideful or haughty. We can resist Satan’s advances with God’s help. And above all, we must pursue God at all times.
The love of God working in me causes me to hate, with the Holy Spirit’s hatred for sin, anything that is not in keeping with God’s holiness. To “walk in the light” means that everything that is of the darkness actually drives me closer to the center of the light. ~Oswald Chambers
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
Mercy for the Day 