“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.
O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!”
(Psalm 81:11-13)

What’s wrong with pursuing my career with all my heart, soul, and might instead of pursuing God with all my heart, soul, and might?

What’s so wrong with lust? It doesn’t hurt anyone.

Why does God even care about greed? Who’s it really hurting?

Why does God make such a big deal about sin? What’s the big deal with sin? As long as I am not killing someone or hurting someone, why should God care?

Why should God care? Hmmm.

There are multiple reasons why God cares so much about sin:

1. Sin destroys. Sin kills. Sin separates us from God’s will.
2. Because God wants to bless us. But sin makes God’s blessings impossible.
3. Sin is an abhorrence to God because it goes against everything God stands for.

We are badly mistaken when we think the punishment and the impact of sin begins at the final judgment. The punishment for sin begins the moment we sin. All the consequences of sin – the addictions, broken relationships, all the destruction, broken lives – this is where the punishment begins.

But punishment for sin doesn’t end there. Punishment becomes eternal as sin leads to eternal separation from God and to eternal damnation.

Why should God care about sin? Perhaps the question we ought to be asking is why don’t we take sin more seriously?

Boy, this reflection is a downer!

It can seem that way. But look at God’s heart: “O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!” (Psalms 81:13). God wants to bless us. God wants to shower his love and grace upon us. The pathway to God’s blessing is walking in his ways.

God wants us to live in his shalom, his peace. God absolutely loves us. God wants only what is best for us. God knows what is best for us even better than we do.

Listen to him.

Walk in his ways.

“For you repay to all according to their work” (Psalm 62:12b)

One of the biggest misunderstandings in our world is the idea that since we are mostly a good person, since my good deeds outweigh the bad, I should make it heaven. We seem to believe as long as our good deeds outweigh the bad on the scale of justice, we are good to go.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Sin doesn’t work like that. Becoming a sinner is not about doing more good than sinning. Becoming a sinner has to do with our being. Let me explain.

How would it fly if a husband were to say to his wife, “But honey, I only cheated on you a couple of times! Out of the thousands of days we’ve been married, I was always faithful. It was only a couple of times.”

How would that fly? What makes a person an adulterer is not about the balance of doing more good than bad. It only takes one time to make someone go from being faithful to being an adulterer.

Sin works like that. We become sinners when we sin. It only takes one act, one deed.

That’s why the Bible tells us we are all sinners.

So when sinners read a passage like this, this is absolutely one of the most frightening passages. Because when we stand before God in judgment, we’re all we’ve got. And there isn’t going to be a scale of justice to weigh the good from the bad to see which way the scale tips. We will stand before God as guilty sinners.

But for Christians this works very differently. You see, because of all that God has done for us through the cross of Jesus Christ, because Jesus paid our debt of sin, because Jesus absorbed the debt of sin on our behalf, we stand before God forgiven!

But what about our sins? Listen to what God says about our sins: “As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

Thank you Jesus! Thank you God!

Today, Christian, before you do anything else, remember your salvation. Remember your God. Remember you Savior and give thanks!

I want you to take a moment to express your gratitude to God as soon as you read this.

Thank you Jesus!!!

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes form the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)

One of the greatest needs of Christians today is the daily intake of God’s word in our lives. For far too many, the only exposure to God’s word is on Sunday mornings.

Imagine living on one meal a week? How would one do? Not only is such a person not doing well, they are dying!

When it comes to the necessity of God’s word in the Christian’s life, the Bible is crystal clear. The Bible is the bread of life. Eat of this bread and you shall live, you shall thrive!

God tells us, “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in rich food” (Isaiah 55:1-2).

Friends, I don’t know how else to encourage you regarding the need for a daily reading of God’s word in your life. There needs to be a daily intake of God’s truth to combat the lies that fill our world.

Fill your mind with God’s word and you will have no room for Satan’s lies.

If you’ve never been a reader of the Bible, don’t feel bad. Let’s change that today. Let’s get started today with a Bible reading plan.

The best resource is free and it is online at www.youversion.com. There you will find all kinds of daily devotionals and Bible reading plans that fit your needs.

When we are able to meet together in person again as a congregation, I want to see you strong and mature. The only way to get there is through a daily intake of God’s truth through his word.

You got this! God’s given us everything we need to thrive. Let’s make that happen!