Payback

This word payback insinuates that someone has been wronged and they will be “paid back” for the wrong they’ve done to another. To the person being “paid back”, it’s not fun. To the person “paying back”, the results are not as gratifying as they had hoped.

The Lord is “paying back” His people for their sin. He has had enough and He feels like He’s facilitating their sin, so they are about to be scattered and taken captive. Check this out….

7 The time of punishment has come,


    the time to pay for sins.


    Let Israel know this:
You think the prophet is a fool,


    and you say the spiritual person is crazy.


You have sinned very much,


    and your hatred is great.

8 Is Israel a watchman?


    Are God’s people prophets?


Everywhere Israel goes, traps are set for him.


    He is an enemy in God’s house.

9 The people of Israel have gone deep into sin


    as the people of Gibeah did.


The Lord will remember the evil things they have done,


    and he will punish their sins. (Hosea 9:7-9 NCV)

When Jesus comes on the scene and brings with Him grace, mercy & forgiveness the story of God’s people was changed. Our story was changed with the arrival of Jesus and we were not created yet. God made a way for payback to be averted. Through Jesus, He made a way to restore me from my rebellious and sinful mess. Grace contradicts payback mentality. I sometime look at the journey of God’s people and think about how short their memory was of all that God had done for them. But then I take a look at my life – I so easily forget the blessing and favor of God when I’m slipping to sin. I need my mind to be quick to remember His favor and His blessing in order to put the brakes on my sinful slide.

Pressing On!

Dwayne