Consequences
I don’t always like this word. I’ve seen the consequences for some behavior seem way more devastating than the behavior would seem to call for. I’ve seen lives ruined and restored, but the consequences of the sin last for generation to generation.
Solomon took 20 years to build the temple and his castle. He spared no expense on either project. I believe his intentions were pure. He really wants to honor God. He is in a good place in his relationship with the Lord. So after the dedication of the temple, the Lord accepts and blesses the temple. He is excited to have His Presence and His Name attached to this temple. He offers Solomon a strong warning about the consequences of following other gods and abandoning his faith. Check this out….
6 “But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, 7 then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. 8 And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will gasp in horror. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’
9 “And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters on them.’” (1 Kings 9:6-9 NLT)
I believe that the Lord calls me to be faithful and consistent in my following Him. I don’t have to be a theologian to follow Him. My faith can be simple, but as I consistently follow Him, it grows deeper and more intimate with each passing day. There are days when I stumble badly and ignore the Lord’s prompting on my heart to run from sin. There are days when my heart is stained with sin. I’m so thankful that the Lord has mercy and grace upon me. He sees the desire of my heart, even though my behavior sometimes stains my heart. He sees my heart as clean through the filter of His own grace. I’m so thankful that even though I have consequences for my sin, they are more bearable knowing I’m forgiven and the Lord is restoring my soul.
Pressing On!
Dwayne