Delayed Consequences and the Price of Sin

The Chronological Bible reading this morning was the story of the rape of Tamar and the subsequent destruction that followed. As I read it, I considered writing about pulling weeds in my garden instead. (Yes. My own weeds were out of control. It took lots of weeding to get rid of them.) Weeds could symbolize the sin in our hearts. Pulling them out could symbolize repentance. It would work, I thought.

Pulling the weeds of sin out of our hearts is critical, because sin left to fester leads to action, often with catastrophic results.

David "took" Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. He let unbridled desire drive his actions. Lust turned to adultery which led to murder. 

As one of the consequences of his sin, Nathan brought a pronouncement from God. Evil would come against David from within his own house. The sword would never leave his house. 

Perhaps David was like a lot of us. Time went by. Nothing happened. He probably thought he'd gotten away unscathed, or relatively so. 

When he least expected it, his world began to unravel. It seemed as if a runaway freight train of disaster was barreling through his family.

David had a beautiful daughter named Tamar and a lust-filled son (Tamar's half-brother) named Amnon, who desired her. There were legal ways he could have had her as his life-long wife, but that was not what he wanted. He didn't want a delay or a commitment. He wanted desire fulfilled and nothing more.

Amnon tricked David into allowing Tamar to come to his house. He made an opportunity to get her alone, raped her, sent her out in disgrace, and refused to accept his responsibility to her.

Whether David saw Amnon's actions as similar to his own in taking Bathsheba is not known. David was "very angry" but he did nothing. 

Absalom was Tamar's brother. He was in a rage, too, and he would not be denied of his revenge. He took Tamar into his home and plotted vengeance. 

Two years went past. Amnon probably thought he had gotten away with his sin. Seemingly out of the blue, Absalom's plot unfolded. He killed Amnon with all David's other sons looking on. Absalom went a long way before reaping his own consequences for his actions. 

Newton's third low of motion says, "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." In a way, we could make a similar law about sin. Amnon's lust and sin triggered an equally intense hate and sin in Absalom. His sin triggered equally intense reaction in Joab.

Every sin has a consequence, and it is not usually one we like. That could be a law of sin-motion, too.

My grandmother used to say, "Your sin will find you out." I'm not sure about that wording, but even forgiven sin has a price.

This morning, I'm remembering the hours I spent weeding my garden yesterday and wishing David had pulled the weed of sin out of his heart before he took Bathsheba. Wishing Amnon had pulled the weed of lust out of his heart before he raped Tamar. Wishing Absalom had pulled the sin of hate out of his heart before he murdered Amnon. On and on.

But what about the weeds of sin in my heart? In your heart? Our sin, if left unchecked, will lead to action. That sin-action will lead to consequences, all too often in the lives of our children. 

My own sin has left more than enough destruction behind. Hasn't yours? Let's take a close look at our hearts today and ask God to help us remove every weed of sin that's growing there, before they bring forth costly action.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 nasb

~~~~~

In case you missed it, here's the link for yesterday's post: Safest in the Battle. (http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/04/safest-in-battle.html)

There is still time to join the Hosea Bible study. The assignment this week is to read the intro (found at http://lessonsindiscipleship.blogspot.com) and read quickly through the book of Hosea for an overview. The first weekly lesson will be posted on the new blog site on May 1. It's deep. It's intense. It's worth it.

#consequences #sinhasaprice #disciple

The Faithful and Sensible Steward: The Adventures of Alfred the Butler, part 2

courtesy free images.com

"And the Lord said, 'Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.'Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few." Luke 12: 42-48 NASB

Yesterday, we met Alfred the Butler and he returns today to help us with our lesson. 

Alfred, as you may remember, has worked for his employer for years. He's a steady, stiff, faithful butler. He anticipates his master's needs and meets them before the master has a chance to ask. Alfred is terrific and he loves being a butler. Alfred gets to dress up in a nice suit every day and sometimes he wears a tuxedo. He greets all the important people who come to visit his master. After all these years, Alfred knows many important people, too. Alfred's master likes gourmet food. Since it's as easy to cook for several as to cook for one or two, the cook prepares the same thing for Alfred as for the master. As a result, Alfred eats gourmet food every day. He lives in the master's mansion in his own quarters. Alfred has a cushy, interesting job. He works long hours, but what does that matter? Alfred is important.

Alfred has a problem. 

Earlier today, Alfred's master made an announcement. "Alfred, old boy, I'm giving you a promotion. I'm putting you in charge of grain distribution."

What? "Grain distribution, Sir? I'm not sure I understand." Surely not grain distribution, Alfred thinks. 

"Oh, yes, Alfred. I need someone to distribute grain to the workers. It's a big job but I know you can do it."

"Would I work in the warehouse?"

"Definitely, Alfred. I have a little apartment for you on the side of the warehouse. It's not much, but it has a ceiling fan and a space heater. The bed has a memory foam mattress. You'll be comfortable enough, I expect."

Memory foam? Alfred has grown accustomed to down, not foam. Ceiling fan? Space heater? It's been years since he lived without central air conditioning. This does not sound like a promotion. Is there gourmet food in a warehouse? Alfred thinks not.

"Could I think about it, Sir?"

"No thinking needed, Alfred. I've already decided. You start tomorrow."

Alfred stands at a crossroads. He has two choices. He can embrace the change, organize the grain, and establish a workable method of distribution. For today, that's the choice Alfred will make. 

"Well, Sir, this is quite a surprise. I never expected to work in the warehouse, but I trust you. You've always been a good master, so I accept this job. Let me get packed and I can start today if you'd like." 

"Good show, Alfred. That would be great. Let me know when you're ready, and I'll drive you myself." (Which is helpful because Alfred has always driven the master's car when needed and doesn't own a vehicle.)

Alfred hurries to his bedroom. He looks around the lovely room, sits once more on the bed with the down comforter, and gathers his thoughts. "I will do my best," he decides. Alfred pulls out his suitcase and begins to pack. He puts his silk pajamas and robe in the case, his underwear and toiletries. Alfred reaches into the closet for his suits. I don't guess I'll wear suits in the warehouse, but it's all I have. He folds the suits and his butler aprons and puts them in the bag, too. 

When the suitcase is full, he adds a few family photos, closes the bag and goes downstairs to his new life. "I'm ready when you are, Sir."

"Great, Alfred. Let's get going."

As the car enters the parking lot, a crowd is milling about. Everyone in the crowd is thin. Some are holding their stomachs. The children are crying. He notices one mother holding hands with two little girls. They are all terribly thin. Nothing but skin and bones, Alfred thinks. The children are crying. Tears trickle down the mother's cheeks, too. Someone needs to fatten those children up. They look hungry. 

At the warehouse, Alfred is shocked. The last grain supervisor must've been a slacker. The warehouse is dirty and in disarray. Alfred runs his finger along a counter and lifts it for a look. Black slime. Now I see why master wanted a new supervisor. The bags of grain are jumbled haphazardly and some have been gnawed by mice. Grain is spilling on the floor. This is such a waste. No wonder there are children starving.

Alfred stands at the entrance to the warehouse and looks across the vast room. There is filth and waste everywhere he looks. "It wasn't vandals who did this. It was the master's own employees who did it," Alfred realizes. They didn't take their job seriously. 

They should've gone to butler school. Then they'd have known better. 

Alfred is right, isn't he? It's not the master's enemies who have made such a mess of things. It was his employees. The waste and destruction is all because they failed to be faithful in the one job entrusted to them. Distributing grain.

When we fail to be faithful in the work to which God has called us, it has far-reaching consequences for those who depend on that work to be done. People perish without it, sometimes physically and sometimes spiritually.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matt. 28:19)
"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much..." (Luke 16:10)

To what work has God called us? How are we making a difference in the kingdom? What is the result of our work left undone? 

For today, let's ask God to show us where we've been unfaithful and help us to see the results of our failure, then ask His forgiveness and get started, doing the work that must be done.

~~~~~~~

Almighty God, forgive us for our failure to be faithful. Help us to see the tasks to which You have called us and to be faithful to the work You have for us to do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Surrendering to God's will

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?"-for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you." (Jonah 1:11-12 NASB)

We are rambling on a side road in search of understanding about the sign of the Jonah. Yesterday, we saw that Jonah's actions spoke much louder to the sailors than his eloquent words about fearing the God of heaven. Today, we see that the sailors understood something we often do not, the concepts of accountability and consequences. They were saying to Jonah (Leanna Paraphrase), "This is your fault because of your rebellion, and we want the storm to stop. How are we going to get relief?" 

The storm was because of Jonah's rebellion. The sailors were essentially innocent bystanders in the crisis, drawn into the situation by Jonah's presence on the ship. All they wanted was for the storm to stop and the seas to calm. They wanted peace. 

The sailors wanted to "do something" to make the storm stop. If Jonah's actions had "caused" the storm to start, perhaps some other set of actions could "cause" the storm to stop. Since Jonah was at the center of the problem, they turned to Jonah for the solution. "What should  we do to you?" I don't know what they expected him to say, but "throw me overboard" was not it.

When I read Jonah's words, I'm always surprised. What was he thinking? I suppose he considered one of two things. 1) They would throw him overboard, the storm would stop, and he would drown, successfully ending his flight away from God. 2) They would throw him overboard, the storm would stop, and God would miraculously save him. Either way, there would be a resolution to the situation.

For the purposes of illustration, I am presuming that Jonah had come to the end of himself. His rebellion and prodigal flight had not worked out as he expected, and his consequences were overwhelming. He had finally come to the point of abandoning himself to God. "Throw me overboard" was, in a way, a surrender to the will of God. 

I've been to the point of resignation a time or two, and maybe you have, too. In situations so complex that I had no idea what to do, there came a point when my desired outcome no longer mattered. The most important thing to me was an end to the storm. At that point, the outcome was not as important as getting some kind of relief in the ongoing situation. That point of surrendering my will to God's is a vital step in receiving the miraculous intervention of God. 

When Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard, they were horrified. They did all they could to save Jonah from his plight. At last, they, too, had to abandon him to whatever solution God would provide. In the midst of a crisis with someone we love, this is often a vital place for us to reach. I don't at all mean to "throw overboard" one who has brought a storm into our lives, but allowing God to use the consequences of their actions to change their hearts and lives is a necessary part of God's redemptive process. 

The sailors rowed desperately, trying to avoid letting go of Jonah. They begged God for mercy. They delayed as long as they dared. All the while, God's big fish was waiting for Jonah so that His plan could unfold. Our attempts to spare others from God-designed consequences can delay the redemption God has planned. 

There was no way for the sailors to know what God would do as they flung Jonah toward the sea and whatever mercy God would offer. Sometimes He sends a storm, but sometimes He sends the most unlikely of refuge places. That's what Jonah found. 

When the sailors did what Jonah said to do, the storm completely stopped and they understood that Almighty God had done it. They feared God greatly, and responded with sacrifices and vows to Him. God completely transformed their lives. God never wastes the storms of life. In this particular storm, he used it to bring the sailors, bystanders drawn in to Jonah's rebellion, to Himself. 

The storm was not wasted in Jonah's life, either. We will see tomorrow about the refuge God had prepared for this wandering prodigal.

For today, consider the storms of your life. How did God use the storm? Have your efforts to spare others (or yourself) of consequences delayed the resolution of the storm? Surrendering to the will of God is not an act of failure. It is an act of faith and opens up the most remarkable of possibilities when we allow Him to do all that He can do, in whatever way He chooses. 

Let Him have His way. It's always best.

Quick Rain

“Hey mom can you believe this?  In three seconds it started raining.”  Ryan was incredulous.  “When I walked outside to get the cat’s bowl, it wasn’t raining.  When I walked back out with his food, it was.  Can you believe it could start raining so fast?”  I laughed.  “Yes, Ryan I really can believe it.  I think God likes to work fast like that sometimes.  Do you know what Proverbs says?”  I asked.  “It says that people who are doing wrong will be broken in a moment.  Just as quick as that.  God will let them keep doing bad things for a while, but when they least expect, he will move and break them.”  “Break?  Like a broken glass?”  He laughed as he thought about how that would look.  “No Ryan, not like a glass.  He means that the consequences of the wrong they’ve done will come when they least expect it.   They will be thinking, ‘This didn’t get me in trouble after all.’  They will think the wrong things didn’t really matter.  As fast as can be, they will find out it did matter in the end.”  

“There’s another time God said he would act fast.  Jesus said that He would come back “in a twinkling of an eye”.  As fast as you can blink He’ll come back and we’ll be changed and go to heaven with Him.  That’s why it’s so important to do right.  I sure don’t want to be doing wrong when he comes, do you?”  “Me either,” he agreed.

What about you?  Are you choosing to do what’s right or what’s wrong?  Have you been doing wrong so long that it seems like the only way?  That your actions don’t really matter? Does it seem you’ve “gotten away with” your choices?  Maybe you need to rethink that.  God says that, when we least expect it, the consequences of wrong choices will come.  We won’t like them, but it will be too late.  

Maybe you’ve begun to think that relief will never come.  Maybe you’re in a hard time that seems as if it will never end.  Does it seem as if all God’s promises are on hold?  As if He will never move for you?  Just hold on a little longer.  As fast as the blink of an eye, He can move.  One day, He’ll come back for His children.  Don’t despair.  When you least expect it, as fast as can be, you’ll be going home.   Are you ready for the trip?