The Blinding Stupor Of Sin

Focus: Jonah 1:5 KJV: Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

Sin is a destroyer, not only of the sinner but also of those around him who may not be complicit in the act but are made vulnerable by the sinner’s presence. While backslidings and rebellion bring massive, chaotic storms that endanger everyone nearby, the person responsible is often entirely numb to the consequences and the displeasure of God.

Samson continuously compromised his holy Nazirite vows, entirely numb to the looming danger. Finally, he allowed himself to go to sleep on Delilah's laps. While he was sleeping, his hair was shaved off, stripping away his supernatural strength. When he woke up, he arrogantly thought he could escape as before, completely unaware that his rebellion had caused the Spirit of the Lord to depart from him. Achan was numb to the consequences Israel faced at Ai, yet he was the one that kept the forbidden items in his tent. For all he cared, it was just one of those things that happen in battles.

Unchecked sin acts like a spiritual sedative. It makes us sleep through the very storms that are destroying our lives and hurting the people around us. We must stay spiritually alert, keeping our hearts soft to God's voice before we wake up to total shipwreck. Today, please check “your tent” for possessions that belong to the world and throw them out to forestall the evil the enemy is planning against your clan. Reconcile with God by obeying all of His instructions. Therein lies life and life more abundantly.

Prayer:

Thank you, father for the grace you have given us to repent and receive forgiveness. In any way that I have been disobedient unto you, please forgive and avert the consequences of such disobedience. Let not me or anyone that any evil will touch and affect me suffer in the hands of the destroyer for my misdeeds. Give me the ability to restitute my ways even now, in Jesus’ name. Amen

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