Though I’ve done my best, most of the time, to live life as a Christian and follow the teachings in the Bible. There have been times I’ve failed, quite a few sadly. I’ve been credited with many more failures than I can actually claim, but that’s a different story. I can attest that God will be faithful to His word and forgive us our shortcomings. However, there are still consequences for our willing desire to go against the rules and teachings set forth by God. You can get forgiveness for adultery, murder, lying, stealing, anger, etc. but sometimes we still have to pay for the sins. This reminded me of a story that better illustrates this;
A young teen that was constantly getting into trouble always apologized when his parents confronted him. No matter how much he hurt his parents with his previous wrong-doing, he would soon turn around and do something else wrong—knowing he would be forgiven.Finally, his dad took him out to the garage for a talk. Dad picked up a hammer and pounded a nail into the garage wall. Then he gave his son the hammer and told him to pull out the nail.The boy shrugged, grabbed the hammer, and yanked out the nail.
“That’s like forgiveness, Son. When you do something wrong, it’s like pounding in a nail.
Forgiveness is when you pull the nail out.”
Begrudgingly the son said, “Okay, I get it”.
Dad told him, “Now take the hammer and pull out the nail hole”.
“That’s impossible!” the boy said. “I can’t pull it out.”
King David was considered a man after God’s own heart. He lived a life that was an amazing story and you can see all through his life where He was led by God to accomplish many great things. But as this story in 2 Samuel 12 illustrates and King David’s life proves, he wasn’t perfect and his sin carried consequences. Even though David was forgiven, his adultery and murder left scars and led to family problems. This sobering truth can serve as a warning for our lives. The best way to avoid the lingering damage of sin is to live a life of obedience to God.I can personally vouch for the fact that our sins do have consequences. There is a price to be paid for going against the will of God. I’m still paying for some of the bad decisions I’ve made through the years.
Living a life for God can be a difficult task. At times, friends may desert us, we may be ridiculed, even family may turn their backs on us. But striving to live for Him brings blessings and joy that far outweigh the temporary struggles and trials that may come our way. Even though it may seem as if we’re striving to live for Him alone, He promised that He would never leave us or turn His back on us. No matter where you are in your walk with Him, it’s always a walk “with” Him. It’s never us against the world alone. If life’s a struggle now, hold on. Victory and joy may be just around the corner.
A Prayer:
Lord, thank You for being slow to anger and filled with compassion. May I not presume upon Your mercy by assuming there will be no consequences for my sin. Help me to confess and then to sin no more. Amen.
Our sins can be forgiven and washed away, but their consequences are ours to pay.
Adapted from an article by Dave Branon
_______________________________________
2 Samuel 12:1-14 (English Standard Version)
And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'" David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment