THE STORY OF JESUS: 2 Samuel 10-13
“Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a devastated woman.” (2 Samuel 13:20)
Sin is not just about the bad things we do, but the devastation we cause.
Every selfish action has a devastating impact on others, whether we realize it or not.
We need to FEEL both the horror of Ammon’s sin and of Tamar’s desolation.
We need to be sickened by the devastation still happening all over the world.
Every sin causes devastation and a ripple effect of consequences.
Multiply this for every person ever, and we see why the world is such a mess.
Do we really appreciate how serious sin is, and how horrible its effects are?
Do I feel how others are hurt by things I did or didn’t do?
Forgiveness is not all we need, we need rescue from sin’s bondage and misery.
We need to feel the awful truth of sin, and how desperate we are in it.
God knows every Tamar, His heart is devastated for them, with them, like them.
This is what the cross shows: how bad sin is, and how far God goes to help us.
On this Good Friday, see in Jesus’ suffering the devastation of all humanity.
God hates the devastation of sin, and He is devastated to set us free!
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, we cannot appreciate Your sacrifice until we realize the horrible devastation of sin. Force me to watch the crucifixion, that I may see what sin does… but also what love does!