Millions of tons of debris from last year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan is making its way across the Pacific to our western shore. It will be yet another year before the bulk of it arrives. Needless to say, it will be unwelcome as it clutters our coast. It seems like a long time to wait but it will arrive. It is much like the fruit of bad decisions we often make. Because there is no immediate detection or results we think we got away with it. However, the debris will someday surface. A rotten diet, lack of exercise, burning the candle at both ends, smoking, alcohol, etc, erode away years at the end of life. The only advantage to that is you don’t have to make as many payments to the life insurance company before they have to pay your heirs. Too bad you won’t be there to see them enjoy it.
Our God is a very sensible God. He has good reasons for the lifestyle instructions He gives us in Scripture. There isn’t one thing He asks of us because He is arbitrary. He always has our best interests at heart. Recently I was challenged about this by a student who wanted to know just how it benefited us not to take His name in vain. Well, the answer is if we reduce His name to an exclamation point we lose the reality of who He is. If He is only a word to express surprise or glee or shock, He ceases to be a loving caring parent interested in our well-being and we will not access the blessings that come with a close personal relationship. It isn’t that He is offended. He is way too big for that. We are the losers. Actually, He also loses. He loses us.
Written by Roger Bothwell on February 22, 2012
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org