Sin Roulette

Isaiah 30: 20, 21 (NLT) Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and affliction for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes, and you will hear a voice say, “This is the way; turn around and walk here.”

Job 42:5 (NIV) My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

November 4, 2012 - part of one of my journal entries

“Lord, why would You give Your children adversity and suffering to eat and drink when You also say You are the God who gives good gifts? (Matthew 7:11, NLT)” This was my question to God when reflecting on past pain and sadness. In one way or another, I suppose many of you have asked this same question of God. Here was my response from God “the common thread is when you seek Me [God] and ask Me, I give good gifts without hesitation. When you strive for good things in your own strength and provision, I will allow it to turn bad so you realize every good and perfect gift can only come from Me (James 1:17).”

If you could choose your adversity or affliction would you? What would it be? Some ideas from scripture: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties… (Galatians 5:19-21). So, what would you choose? Any you see there that surprised you? If you and I are honest, we would choose what we could overcome. We look at others and their troubles and have the tendency to say, “I could overcome that! If they had my problems, they wouldn’t last.”

If God gave you the choice to choose your own temptations/sins and trials without needing Him would you do it? Would you roll the roulette wheel, with a loaded dice so you could choose the easiest for you to overcome? I have to admit, I would be tempted to have temporal relief but would I give up eternal gain and blessing for it (Mark 8:36)?

That’s the whole point isn’t it? Our temptations/sins and trials cause us to realize our need for someone greater than our self...it opens us up to our dependence on God. If we chose the sin we knew we could overcome easily or on our own we would miss the point of this life given to us…a life meant to Serve Christ, Love God and Work in the Holy Spirit’s power. A purpose-filled life meant to know God and make Him known to the world (Matthew 28:19).

Now, back to the beginning…our temptations/sins and trials help us walk with God, have a closer relationship with Him and move from simply “hearing” of Him to “seeing” Him. Our temptations/sins and trials, when we give them to Christ to redeem and transform us, reveal that this world has no power over us – Christ within us has ALL power to overcome what we can’t (1 John 4:4). He alone is glorified and our burdens are made light without gambling our eternity.

Verses to Consider with God: Galatians 2:18, 21 & 3:18-29