Tag Archives: Sin

Oct4

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 4, 2014 by lsgrlr

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 21. “And the children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them. So the children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family; they went out from there, every man to his inheritance.In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Verses 23-25). As a female this Chapter disturbs me (read it for yourself, you’ll understand why). As I read along, I began to ask God why He would allow this to happen to innocent women. Then, I read the very last sentence of the Chapter… “Everyone did what was right in his OWN eyes”. Ahhh, they still had not learned. They fought one of their own tribes, nearly wiping them out, because they lived by that very statement, yet they themselves (Israel as a whole) DID NOT change. I see this lifestyle in today’s society. When we watch the news or see something horrible and graphic, the first person to get blamed is ALWAYS God. We ask question, “How could a loving God allow this?” “If God exists why is there so much pain and cruelty in the world?” Yet He has given us instructions on how to live (the Bible). He has very clearly told us right from wrong, WE are the ones that are NOT listening. We are the ones doing what’s right in our own eyes.

Oct3

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 3, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 20. “Then Israel set men in ambush all around Gibeah. And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in battle array against Gibeah as at the other times. So the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. They began to strike down and kill some of the people, as at the other times, in the highways (one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah) and in the field, about thirty men of Israel. And the children of Benjamin said, ‘They are defeated before us, as at first’… But the Benjamites did not know that disaster was upon them. The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword” (verses 29-32, 34-35). I encourage you to read this Chapter. Heck I encourage (if you haven’t been doing so), to pick up your Bible and read God’s words for yourselves. After receiving the message from the Levite man who’s wife had been murdered. The Israelites gathered together to discuss where they were before the Lord, and what they needed to do to rectify what had happened (it took body parts in the mail, to get you to open your eyes? Really!?). Israel tells the Benjamites that they need to turn over the men who committed the crime, so that God’s anger would subside. However, the Benjamites refused. They go to war. Israel seeks God about who should go out first. He says, “Judah”. However, Israel is defeated. They come before God again, and He says. “Go.” But yet again Israel is defeated. They fast, pray, and weep and ask, “God should we try one more time?” This time the answer is, “Go, for I will deliver them into your hand.” The Benjamites are defeated. Don’t miss the lesson. The Benjamites didn’t want to repent, and for a while it seemed as though they’d be victorious in their sin. Sin is fun, it feels like a victory. No one would sin otherwise. But it ALWAYS leads to death, ALWAYS. There is no escaping the consequences, for sin only has one ending. Note, the first two victories had the Benjamites so confident they could not even fathom that they might lose. God was not even a thought in their minds. However, the two defeats brought Israel to a place where God could use them, they humbled themselves, humbled their hearts, and came out victorious. Sometimes it seems as though the world is winning. But sin only has one ending. Instead of looking at the world, we need to look inward and find out where our heats are before God. Victory comes to the humble of heart.

Oct2

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 2, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 19. “But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, ‘No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this outrage. Look, here is my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine; let me bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them as you please; but to this man do not do such a vile thing!’ But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go” (Verses 23-25). Ever wished you could skip over something in the bible and pretend it’s not there? If I could do that, this would be the chapter I would eliminate. But as horrid and terrifying as I find the words written here, it serves a purpose. Which is to remind us of what “Everyone did what was right in their own sight” looks like. It looks like the story in this chapter. It looks like the TV news we watch day in and day out, and then after wonder to ourselves, “How can people be this wicked?” This is life without God. This is what happens when people fill that longing with something other than God. The world today is no different from it was then, society lives by the “If it feels good, do it” rule. This chapter is a reminder of why those words are a lie.

Mar24

DAY 83 (2014)

Posted on March 24, 2014 by lsgrlr

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Sin darkens the road, and takes away our light.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Mmmmm… Ever noticed this phenomena? The one where you decide NOT to do something (because it is the right decision), and from the moment you make the determination to do good. ALL you can think about is that thing you decided NOT to do. In fact you begin to feel, like if you don’t do it you may die or even go crazy! I am in that predicament right now, and in all honesty, it is kind of humorous. Why? Because I have never thought about this one particular thing as much have I have since I decided that it would be in my best interest to refrain from doing it. It’s like those moments when I decide that I am going to fast, and give that time to the Lord. It never fails that on that day someone will call inviting me to my favorite restaurant, or my mom will make my favorite dish…and all I will think about is how hungry I am. Oddly, I can go hours and hours without eating and think nothing about it (on any day I am not fasting). But that’s how sin works, we don’t realize how attached we are to it, or how much of a hold it has over us until we try to irradiate it. The thing I am letting go of is not a sin in the dictionary definition of the word, but I have noticed little by little that it has been slowly drawing my focus and attention away from God’s will for my life. Yesterday after pastor Jerry’s message I decided to exam my life and my heart and what I saw made me realize that there were things that I needed to let go of. Areas in my life that were pulling me down instead of building me up. It’s a hard battle, but I know that victory means freedom from bondage and a closer walk with my Savior. Sounds like a win to me.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).

So what’s my plan of attack? Running with perseverance.

Jan24

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on January 24, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Genesis 4. ” Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? f you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Verses 6-7). “You must have rule over it”. Over what? Sin. Have you ever noticed that when things don’t go our way the first thought is always bad? No one’s first thought is ever, “What? I didn’t get what I wanted. Praise God.” (At least it’s never my first thought). We open ourselves up to sin, when we continue to entertain the thought. Cain did not have to kill Abel, but (and this is speculation) the more he thought about it the angrier he got. The angrier he got the more it became Abel’s fault and not his own. Sounds familiar? Here’s what God says, “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you MUST RULE OVER IT”.

Dec18

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on December 18, 2013 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 John 3. ” Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him” (Verses 4-6). Ever heard someone say this, “It was just a little white lie”? When did we start color coating wrong, as though coloring made it less wrong. God said sin is LAWLESSNESS, note He did NOT color coat. Sin is sin. Wrong is wrong. The world would be a much easier place to navigate if we lived life acting on that truth. Let’s not live trying to make sin less, or find ways to make ourselves feel better about it. When we do wrong, we need to own up. Ask for forgiveness, then…DON’T do it again.