GOD doesn’t play

Judges 9: ²² After Abimelek had governed Israel three years, ²³ God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek. ²⁴ God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.

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Lying had become a way of life as I tried to get as much as I could at that time. It was so convenient to just make up a lie rather than facing whatever I was facing.  When the dorm director asked “why didn’t you open up the office on time”, I wasn’t quick enough to form my lie and my story fell apart quickly.

I lost the cushy office job and had to look elsewhere. This same thing happened at the next place when I was a janitor. “I wonder if I should take these jobs seriously” I thought to myself.

When I sin I try to hide what I did by lying to myself.

When I sin I think I can get away with whatever I’ve done.

When I sin I hope no consequence will fall on me.

“I can’t be perfect” is my excuse for sinning so I jump in with both feet. I then justify my sin by comparing what others have done and trivializing my “little” sin to their “big” one. BUT GOD sees things different.

GOD doesn’t want me to blow off my sin even though I am fully forgiven for them.

GOD knows sin somehow weakens me to the point where I can’t be used for HIS plan.

GOD sees through my lies even when I lie to myself.

“Vengeance is mine” GOD says and that goes for me as well. HE fights my foes and protects me from their attacks, but HE also corrects me when I am the attacker. GOD cannot stand sin, no matter how I try to justify it. Fortunately for me, HIS SON forgave me of all my sins and cleanses me of all unrighteousness.

I still may have to face consequence while I’m on this planet, but thank GOD my consequences are only for this lifetime. However, the more I can reduce my sinning the more GOD rewards me in the next lifetime.

Are you lying to yourself and others?

Do you constantly have sin in your life that you are not addressing?

Do you feel powerless?

Won’t you mature by not lying to yourself and turning to GOD for the answers?