Quite often, life lessons come from the pain of God’s judgment. God may forgive and heal, yet the scars of sin’s consequence often remain.
Life Lesson #8 – Disobedience to God’s Word and standard brings God’s judgment and Satan’s attacks
When he [the man of God] was gone [from the old prophet’s home], a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. (1 Kings 13:24-25)
Several things jump out here. First, judgment for disobedience was immediate. God is faithful in all His ways. In this instance, judgment arrived quickly. At other times, judgment is delayed for reasons only God knows. But God never lets sin slide. “The Lord is upright … there is no unrighteousness in Him” (Psalm 92:15).
Secondly, God orchestrates all things—even the animals. The lion didn’t eat the man or the donkey. Natural instinct tells us one or both should have been lion food. However, God allowed the corpse to remain as a witness to His judgment. He supernaturally allowed both animals to stand side by side as a testament to His power. He “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). As the Creator of everything (John 1:3), He has authority over everything (Matthew 28:18).
Thirdly, no sin happens in a vacuum. Along with disobedience bringing God’s judgment, even should that judgment lead to repentance, sin’s ripple effects are far-reaching. Quite often our sin affects those around us.
The Ripple Effect of Sin
King Manasseh, the son of godly King Hezekiah, was horribly evil, then repenting, yet left a trail of unrecoverable debris. According to 2 Chronicles 33:1-9, he “did worse” than all the pagans that God destroyed. Yes, he eventually repented and tried to restore godliness to his kingdom. But he was unable to undo the spiritual damage caused by his previous apostasy, idolatry, and occultic practices (2 Chronicles 33:17).
Several verses in Scripture support this. The apostle Paul indicated God sometimes allows people to pursue their sin to the point where God turns them over to a “reprobate mind” (Romans 1:28). For whoever willfully, proudly lives in sin, Paul said to “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:1-5). We either choose to follow God or the devil—along with the associated rewards or consequences. Let’s add this to our storehouse of critical life lessons.
Deliberate, willful sin removes us from God’s blessing and protective shelter (Psalm 139:5). Those who remain “in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). He remains their trusted place of refuge. Yes, God convicts and lovingly disciplines His wayward children to motivate their quick return (Hebrews 12:11) and to develop His holiness in us. But should we stray from His sheltering refuge, we become ready targets for Satanic attack.
As in our story, the devil (like a lion) always prowls about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). If he can’t get our souls, he assaults our witness for Christ in His intent to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10).
Oh, may we trust God and His Word! His instruction is for our benefit and His protection. Remaining under His protective shelter brings His favor and protects against Satan’s attacks.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Nate Stevens.
Featured Image by Alexander Lanz from Pixabay
SURRENDERED
YIELDING TO GOD’S PERFECT WILL
by NATE STEVENS
NEW RELEASE – NOW AVAILABLE!
CHRIST IN ME 30-DAY DEVOTIONAL SERIES
By NATE STEVENS
CLICK ON EACH BOOK TO LEARN MORE, DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE, OR BUY.
