Daily Devotional, Oct 6, 2023 Punishment or Consequence?
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
The game truth or consequence has long been an ice breaker, and a fun game for older kids and teens to pass the time. When the bottle points to the person , he is asked to choose whether he would say a truth about himself, or choose consequence where the group will make him do some kind of a dare.
As adults, consequences mean a totally different thing. We usually interchange it with the word punishment, especially when we are undergoing a life crisis. How many times have we seen, heard or read about someone in trouble saying he or she is being punished by the Lord? But have we ever stopped to think if the problems we have right now are just a consequence of our actions (or inaction), and not a direct punishment from the Lord?
Disobeying the Lord’s commands come with practical consequences. Most of the time the guilt of disobedience though makes some think that they are getting punished. But we must understand that His commands are not just His way of showing He is Lord of all, His commandments are there to guide us in living life fully (“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” PSALM 19:7).
For instance, sexually transmitted diseases could have been easily avoided if we followed the Lord’s commands to do away with sexual immorality. Another example is going deep into debt. Had we been contented with what we have, and we did not covet what others have (or been bragging about in their social media feed), then we would not have over-swiped our credit cards into oblivion. Now who is suffering from raising all those payments, and trying to improve one’s credit score? Getting into debt is not a punishment but a practical consequence of overspending.
There are times when our suffering is from our own doing. Sometimes, it is because of people around us. Whatever the case may be, let us take comfort in the fact that God is always there, ready to help us (“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you” ISAIAH 44:22).
We may have been suffering because of our waywardness yet our Creator delights in our contrite heart, and is ready to forgive us if we ask Him to (“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” MICAH 7:18). The important thing is we should be conscious about why things are happening to us, and be prepared to address the root cause of our sufferings. If it is sin, anger and unforgiveness, waywardness or the like, we should surrender these to God, repent, and move forward. We should believe that the Lord will empower us as we try our very best to live a life that is pleasing to Him.
Yes, we would still have to live the consequences of our actions, but at least we know we have been redeemed and Jesus Christ is holding our hands through it all.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Ezekiel 34:11-16 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are the hardships you are experiencing a consequence of your actions? Have you sought the Lord’s help and guidance about it?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, I praise and thank you for always being ready to forgive, even to the point of seeking me through my wayward ways. May I finally encounter you, so that I could fully surrender and trust all my hardships and worries to you, and live my life according to your will and purpose. Amen.
