May 23 - When We Sin

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Chronicles 6,7; Psalms 134,135; Romans 4

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 When you sow sin, you get something worse than crop failure - you reap a crop of failures, one after the other!

Solomon was indeed wise. During his incredible prayer of dedication, he mentioned over and over the inevitability of Israel’s sin, knowing there is no one who does not sin (6:36). He also correctly linked calamities of all kinds (eg. war, famine, pestilence, sickness, captivity) as possible consequences of sin. Solomon had learned from Israel’s history, and through his own experience, you reap what you sow. When you sow sin, you get something worse than crop failure - you reap a crop of failures, one after the other!

That’s not to say that all difficult circumstances are the result of sin. Bad things also happen to good people (eg. Job, Joseph, Paul, Jesus, to name a few). But when we choose to live outside of God’s will for our lives, things do tend to spiral out of control, and not always just because of God’s discipline. More often it’s just the natural consequences of bad choices. I can still hear my mom in my head: “if you play with fire... if you run with scissors... if you don’t eat your vegetables...!”

Solomon’s repeated prayer is like this: “when we sin and then turn from that sin, please hear our prayers and forgive us.” That’s a great prayer because God will always answer it. It’s in His nature. And He does answer Solomon with this memorable response: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (7:14). Repentance requires turning. Saying “I’m sorry” is meaningless if there is no change in behaviour (I learned that from my wife!). Fortunately the same power that was available to resist the temptation in the first place is also there when we repent.

I love the scene from the movie “Fireproof” when Caleb is being tempted by a seductive girl on his computer screen, saying “click here to see more.” He paces around the house crying out, “why is this so hard?” Then you see the change in his face from anguish to resolve, as the Spirit of God rises up in him with holy indignation. The next thing you see is Caleb dragging the computer out of the house and pummeling it with a baseball bat. When his wife returns home from work she sees the computer in the garbage can and a vase of beautiful roses sitting where the computer used to be. On the flowers is a note that simply says “I love you more!”

“Lord, that’s what it comes down to. I love You more than anything the enemy of my soul tries to offer me. But when I sin, move my heart to repent and turn back to You. I thank You in advance that it is in today’s promise and Your nature to forgive me!”