My habit is morning devotions, usually before breakfast or anything else happens in the day. On occasion I think evenings might be better. By then I’ve had a day of ‘stuff’ that God can speak to, a day of questions, challenges, all sorts of things that need His light. But God is more practical. He would rather tell me first thing what I need to know for the hours ahead of me. I might need a solid reminder of who He is, or a command to obey. After all, He knows what my day will bring and that it’s far better to begin with answers than seek them after the fact.
This morning I read Acts 5. The early church was experiencing rapid growth. What an exciting time! But then it was marred. Two believers, perhaps trying to impress the others with a false generosity, made a donation and lied about it. Peter confronted them.
“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’”
The sin was not keeping back part of their profit; it was the lie. My first thought is, What will tempt me today? Will I be in a situation where I might try to impress people and instead of being honest, I embellish?
Anyone who spends time with God in the morning knows how easy it is to forget what they read. By the end of the day, if someone asks me what my devotional thoughts were, I might struggle to answer. Will today’s busyness distract me? If I’m tempted to make myself look better than I am, will I remember what happened to Ananias and Sapphira?
“Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. . . . And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?’ She said, ‘Yes, for so much.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’ Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.”
God does not always deal with sin this severely. Perhaps the fledgling church needed a sharp reminder to never take lightly His grace and mercy. Perhaps the observing world needed to know that He is a God who hates sin.
If I told a lie today (and I don’t plan to), I likely will not be hit by a truck. However, I could damage the faith journey of someone else. Hypocrisy, lack of integrity, failure to be honest, are sin, and even if no one noticed, I would, and God would. Far better to be totally truthful all day than confess to Him tonight that I’ve been foolish.
No comments:
Post a Comment