September 29: GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

Someone jokingly said, “Many people stay up late on Saturday night to sow wild oats and then go to church on Sunday to pray for a ‘crop failure’.” But it’s useless, we will reap what we sow, we will get what we deserve, unless there is Divine Intervention.
The Prophet Zechariah tried to get the people of Israel to return to God. Some on them did; “then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’ “(Zechariah 1:16)
How many times have you heard someone complain that their punishment was more than they deserved? A part of human reasoning says that I should be able to do anything that I want at any time and never have to face the consequences.
God says, “Sow a wind, reap a whirlwind.” (Hosea 8:7) You may be able to protect yourself if it is only wind coming back to you but the great velocity of the whirlwind will be more than you can handle. We do often set forces in motion that eventually crush us under the weight of consequences. People seem to act with only “the now” in mind, forgetting that someday they will get what they deserve.
David said in Psalm 103: 10 that God “does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” However, “the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.” (Romans 6:23)
I guess that’s one of those places where Divine Intervention overwhelms “just desserts”. Or consider Psalm 130:3-4, “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, therefore, you are feared.” Learned truth: With the world you will get what you deserve. With God, there is mercy and forgiveness.

Thank You, God, for being merciful to us when we come in sorrow and
forgiveness, recognizing our foolishness and thoughtlessness. Amen”