April 17: Of Choices, Consequences and Love

Deuteronomy 31:1-32:27

Luke 12:8-34

Psalm 78:32-55

Proverbs 1221-23

Luke 8:20 - "But God said to him, 'You fool!…"

People seem to think we live in a "no judgment" or a "no consequence" society.  That, to accept a person, to love a person means everything they do should be acceptable.  Otherwise you're…you're…what's that term they use these days?  Oh yeah.  You're a "hater."   As in, "you're such a hater."

The thing is, choices HAVE consequences, however much we may deny the fact.   Have a look at today's psalm - 

CHOICE: 

     In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; 

          In  spite of all His wonders, they did not believe.  

SO CONSEQUENCE:

     So He ended their days in futility

          And their years in terror.

To me, this suggests that if we love someone, we have to be prepared to do the difficult thing - to let them know - gently, of course, with love and respect, and not with condescension or derision or a holier-than-thou self righteousness - that what they are doing is wrong.  After all, we don't want God to "heap calamities on them", or "send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and plague", do we?  

It isn't easy to tell someone something they won't like.  But remember the proverb: "The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy."  Are we trustworthy when we pretend what our friends do is right?  Are not our lips detestable to God when, by our words (or lack thereof), we condone sin?

Father, when we seek to do Your will, even when called to risk angering those we love by pointing them back in Your direction, remember Your promise - that the "Lord Himself goes before you, and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you."  Then help us not to be afraid of, nor discouraged by, the possible consequences of our actions.