Read Exodus 30 – 32
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, these be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 32:8 KJV
We don’t like to admit or think about it but sin stirs up the wrath of God. Yes, God loves and is full of mercy but He is also a God of wrath. Approximately 400 Bible references affirm God punishes sin. Perhaps the most sobering aspect of this is the reality that our sins are never hidden from Him. God knows, hears, and sees all our words, thoughts, and deeds. In verses 7-8 God saw the golden calf, actions of Israel, and heard their words of idolatry, noting was hidden from Him about them, and nothing about us is hidden either. We need to realize the consequences of sin is not a matter of keeping it hidden, or gaining the approval of those who might censer us, the consequences of sin are in the hands of a holy and righteous God who hates sin, and from whom nothing is hidden. It is so easy for us to think of sin as a light thing, but there is nothing light about the holy wrath of God.
Lord, it is frightening how quickly and easily we move from you into sin, and how little we make of it. It is also frightening to know nothing is hidden from you, and you act against sin. Protect me from the temptation of all mankind to wander from you to sin.
A question to ponder through the day: How can the understanding that God sees, hears, and knows our thoughts, words, and deeds be a hindrance to sinful behavior in our life?
