Devotion
Sin’s Punishment
Frances Taylor
People often blame God when bad things happen and feel it's God's punishment for sin But this passage from Genesis lets us know that sometimes sin brings its own punishment. We all know the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors that his brothers were so envious of since they were jealous of their father's preference for Joseph. We know how they sold their brother and told their father he was dead and how Joseph wound up in Egypt. Now the brothers are in Egypt seeking food because there was a famine in Canaan where they were living. Joseph recognizes them, but they don't have a clue. Now, they feel the guilt of having sold their brother and know that they deserve whatever happens to them. Sin has effects. People who lie aren't trusted. People who steal, find it hard to get a job. People who flaunt authority, who feel the rules don't apply to them, run into problems and often find themselves in jail. Many of these people will ask, "Why me? Why is God doing this to me?" The answer is obvious to others. God isn't doing anything to them, they have done it to themselves. The easy answer to avoiding these problems is just don't sin, but we know that that isn't always possible. What we can do is to take responsibility for our behavior, recognize our sins, ask for forgiveness and ask for help to avoid sin in the future.
Prayer
Forgiving Lord, you don't need to punish us as we seem to do a good job of doing that ourselves. Help us to recognize our sins and ask you for forgiveness as well as the strength to avoid the situations that lead us to sin. Amen.
Night Prayer
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Inspiration
We happily anticipate Christ's return; we look forward to seeing Him face to face. Our moments of tribulation will be worth it end the end as we rest peacefully in His gracious arms. We remain focused on our walk by continuing our studies, growing closer to Christ, and inviting others to accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior. We have a lot of learning and ministering to do in His absence, and we will actively work as commissioned until He returns.
Prayer
Dear Lord, Only You know when the end is near. We will continue to minister to those around us as we wait for Your return. In Jesus' Name, Amen.