Sin costs more than you think. Only eternity will reveal its actual price.
Jeremiah 5:25 “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.”
Sin always causes pain, sorrow, and destruction. Those consequences are easy to see. However, there is another price to sin that is more difficult to measure.
This verse tells us that sin withholds good. There are good things that God has in store for you. He plans to give them to you. God’s gifts include blessings, opportunities, possessions, influence, honor, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, peace, joy, love, power, hope, etc. We could all use more of those, couldn’t we?
However, the decision to sin withholds these gifts from us. It is easy to calculate the visible destruction of sin, but how do we estimate the worth of blessings never received? It is impossible to know for sure, yet God tells us that sin causes us to miss out.
[shareable]Some people get so worried about what they are missing out on in the world that they never consider what they may be missing out on from God. [/shareable]
Take a moment to contemplate what your life might look like if you surrendered to God completely. What glorious future awaits? What are amazing blessings headed your way? How much joy and contentment are just over the horizon? You may never know if you don’t get victory over temptation.
God is good. He is benevolent. Everything God does is moral and virtuous. He is good to you.
God is love. He is the source of love and the ultimate example of it. He is more than loving. He is love. He loves you.
God is generous. He loves to give. His gifts are amazing. From the gift of existence to the gift of eternal life, He is unmatched in generosity. He is generous to you.
God is wise. He knows what you need and when you need it. He knows the best time and method to bestow His blessings. When He decides to withhold something from you, it is for your good.
God is creative. He has good things prepared for you that your mind can’t conceive. If God gave you everything you wanted in life, you would shortchange yourself compared to what He has planned for you. If you want a taste of His creative genius, think about Heaven for a moment. What we know of it is better than we could have dreamed. Think of what other good things He must have in store for you.
The next time you are tempted to sin, remember that it is impossible for you to calculate the cost. Is that moment of pleasure worth what it will cost you in the long run? Not a chance.
Not even close!
Say NO to temptation today. Obey God in every way you know how. Prepare for the blessings to flow.
[callout]“Heavenly Father, You have always been so good to me. I’ve never considered all the good things my sin is keeping from me. There is no way to know the blessings I’ve missed. Please forgive my stubborn iniquity. I submit to You today and trust Your goodness in my life. Amen.’ [/callout]
Today’s Bible Reading: Jeremiah 5
Read this devotional series from the beginning here.