Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for making Your matchless Word available to Your children. It is a sure Word that cannot fail, for You are faithful to bring Your Word and promises to pass in our lives. Every day we have an opportunity to trust it in a greater way than we did the day before. This is Your requirement for the believer. We are to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to follow Your Word the way that he did, but sometimes we have doubt. Some of us don’t believe that You will back us as we walk out on faith.
1John 4:16(NLT) tells us, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” Through Jesus Christ, we have received new life! We received a total makeover that redeemed us from darkness and from living under the bondage of satan, the god of this world. You orchestrated our redemption and salvation from death and darkness, and through Christ, we have Your love abiding on the inside. We belong to You in every way. So, love is not defined by how much we love You. It is defined by how much You love us, and You showed us Your love by giving Your only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins.
I was speaking with someone that was confused about Your love. She didn’t understand why we have to face the consequences of our sins if Your love is so overwhelming. The current condition of the pandemic has many people wondering about this. They hear from teachers and preachers of Your Word that the world is facing the consequence of its refusal to listen and obey Your commandments. Instead, the world has chosen to love sin and to disregard what is right. Because things seem so harsh, people are angry, because they think You are punishing them with the pandemic.
Your law says that every choice has a consequence. Right actions have right consequences and wrong actions have wrong consequences. You do not punish us when we make the wrong choice. You forgive us, but we still must face the consequence of that wrong choice.
This person then asked, “Why do we still have to endure consequences when we’ve been forgiven?” As good biological parents, we have a sense of what is right and wrong, and when our children do something wrong, we don’t stop loving them. We forgive them for their wrongdoing, but we also remove a privilege as chastisement for their wrong behavior. We teach them the difference between right and wrong, because we know that repeatedly making the wrong choices and doing the wrong things is harmful to them.
Good parents chastise bad behavior because this is the standard for being a good parent. You set this standard. It is a standard that demonstrates authentic and genuine love, because Hebrews 12:6(ESV) tells us, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
1Peter 5:8(ESV) tells us, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We have an enemy that waits to pounce on our lives whenever we do something that gives him the chance to do so. Choosing to behave like those of darkness instead of like Jesus Christ, who is light, will cause us great harm. Making choices that do not represent God’s Word and goodness gives the devil just the opportunity he looks for. God forgives us, and we will never see hell because of His forgiveness, but there is a price that must be paid for every single choice we make. That is law.
Through His Word, God teaches us the difference between light and darkness. If there was no difference between the two and no consequence for the choice, we would not need to know God’s Word, but His Word is our roadmap for right living and good results. Just as through our love and care, we teach our children between right and wrong because we want the best for our kids, as His children, God wants the best for us. The only way to have the best in life is to live by the example Jesus Christ has set.
Galatians 6:7 tells us that God is not deceived when we pretend to be something we’re not. He’s not fooled when we say we love Him but refuse to obey His Word. He tells us that the harvest will always reveal the true motive and identity of the seed. In other words, the consequence will reveal the true motive and identity of the action. Romans 6:23 tells us that the price or wages for sin is death. Death is the ultimate consequence for sin, so every time there is a wrong action or sin, something will be lost.
Heavenly Father, there is no failure in You. You cannot fail, and Your Word never fails. Thank You for giving us Your Word and showing us the right way of living, believing, thinking, and acting through the example of Jesus Christ! John 1:1 tells us that he is the living Word. John 14:6 affirms that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to You except through him. Please open our eyes to see the difference between right and wrong. Renew in us, Dear Father, a right spirit so that we will hunger and thirst to live righteously before You. Thank You for all Your many blessings. Thank You for our precious and powerful Lord and Savior. Thank You for indwelling us with the extraordinary gift of Holy Spirit, so we can live Your Word through his power. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
“God Cannot Fail”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.