UNWANTED CONSEQUENCES!

UNWANTED CONSEQUENCES!

Ps 34:14-16

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord  are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the Lord  is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

Ps 37:12-13

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

          A flood of unintended and unwanted consequences follow hard on the heels of foolish decisions and rebellious actions. Not many want to “learn to do well” (Isaiah 1:17) but many want to learn how to minimize or neutralize the consequences of their favorite sins. The Bible is clear when it tells us that if we want good consequences we must begin with good actions.

          Depart from evil! This is the advice of Psalm 34:14 and it means to abandon sin once and for all. It means not simply abandoning certain destructive sins but sin as a lifestyle.

          Do good! Choose the right every time. This requires a change of heart and mind. When Isaiah said we should “learn to do well” he meant that we should take the time to forecast the consequences of our actions.

          God is watching! His eyes are upon those who do right and his face is against those who do wrong. He rewards actions with corresponding consequences. Like Santa Claus, God has a “naughty and nice” list.

          Finally, a disclaimer! Nowhere in this Psalm does David suggest that the life of obedience will exempt the child of God from all trouble. He does, however, tell us, in verse 15, that His ears are open to their cry. “The righteous cry, and the Lord  heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” Ps 34:17

          Someone has asked: “Why is it if we are all so well-educated and brilliant and gifted and artistic and idealistic and distinguished in scholarship, that we are so selfish and scheming and dishonest and begrudging and impatient and arrogant and disrespectful of others?” Could the answer be sin?

Dear Lord, let me choose right and pursue it. AMEN