“The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore, tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?
“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”
Oftentimes, as kids, we would do some bad stuff and hope to get away with it. Sometimes we did, and sometimes we did not. I remember throwing my sister’s cat into the pond to see if the cat was going to dog paddle or not. Hannable dog paddled his way out of the pond, and my sister found out what happened. We were in some huge trouble.
Getting away with doing some not-so-good things may happen once or twice, but Paul tells us in Galatians 6:7 that, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” In other words, you cannot get away with it. Unfortunately, when we become Christians, we automatically think we will get a pass on life and not have to pay for any of the bad stuff we do. Not all of us constantly do bad things, but we do live in a fallen world. The last time I checked, the world is not getting a merit badge for acting like good Sunday school kids. The opposite is more fitting; it needs a good scolding and a wake-up call.
Zechariah was prophesying to Israel at the end of the exile in Babylon. Decades of ignoring the Lord and idol worship put the Israelites in a 70-year exile to learn their lesson. This was a cry from the Lord to return to Him. Their disobedience drove them into exile. The Lord asks the people, “Where are your ancestors?” Did not everything that the Lord told them was coming upon them come to pass?
We need to look back at our own shortcomings and learn from them. Your current sin may not be much, and you might even get away with it at this time, but please do not be deceived. Sin has a way of leaving a wound that will only take time to heal. I have a friend whose father was a chain smoker. He smoked for a very long time and finally quit later in life. While quitting smoking was a victory, he developed COPD and later died because of it. We don’t get a rubber stamp of health or become Teflon when we say yes to Jesus. Rather, He promises to give us peace even when we don’t understand it.
I watched my father-in-law’s brother pass away from multiple sclerosis. Even in the end, he was a joy to be around despite the advanced stage he was in. The joy of the Lord was his strength. I am not saying that the MS was punishment; I am saying that no matter what you are going through, no matter what mess you seem to have put yourself in today, Jesus promises to give you perfect peace.
We will reap what we sow, make no mistake about it. We do have a choice to turn from our sinful ways and follow Jesus with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In turn, He promises to give us a perspective of grace and mercy and strength to make Godly decisions moving forward. Cats do dog paddle, I found that out, but at a severe price. We don’t have to sin; it is a choice we make, and when we make it, we will pay its price. The good news is that Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He is waiting for you to choose Him over sinning.
Prayer: Father, help me to choose You over sinning. Help me to rid myself of ways that are not from You, Lord. I pray that I will have a heart after You, Father, and seek Your presence and peace in all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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