Corona Devo 1514
Slow, and lethargic from winter hibernation, they were easy to scoop up and dispose of, and I did. But, how did they get in there?
I had been the one who had carefully cleaned up-and-out every crevice of that camper last Fall. And yet, hanging on the cord of the window blinds...a living wasp. In a side-cupboard...a slow-moving (living) wasp. And---in an empty drawer...a slow-motion living wasp.
I thought everything was empty and clean when we locked up. I didn't see any bugs and certainly not any wasps when I shut the door in October. And yet...here they were.
~~~
It's not (at all) like we haven't had that type of experience before though.
Isn't our sin the same way?
God (in His mercy) is so good to us. He loves us and He reveals our sin to us, and if we know Him and revere Him, then our sin becomes as repulsive to us as it is to Him, and with His help, we turn from it. We rebuke it. We are cleansed of it.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. ~Psalm 51:1-2
And so, with God's help, we separate from it. Whatever once pulled-us-under...we rise above by the power of Christ.
But then, every once in a while...
When we are not looking, or perhaps when we are looking (at something that we shouldn't be)...
When we get a little lazy in our faith...
When we let down our spiritual guard...
When we hardly notice...
A dangerous wasp-of-sin reappears in a space of our life that we thought we had completely cleaned out.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ~I John 1:8
...We smash our finger in the door and (somehow)--cuss words fly out of our mouths that (by faith) we had laid dormant years ago.
....We are blessed to be a part of something that God is doing, but (somehow), our pride creeps in and comes out, even though we should know by now that it was (all) Him and not us.
...We know God's peace and we are grateful for life in Him, but someone spurns us and (somehow) anger boils up from within some deep crevice that we didn't know existed.
We each have sin that (like a wasp reviving from winter hibernation) can "come back from the dead", or "appear out of nowhere".
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ~Romans 7:15
If and when sin resurfaces in our lives...we have a choice to make.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly. ~Proverbs 26:11
Or...
We can make every effort to add to our faith, and we can participate freshly with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the divine nature that they make available to us through our communion with them.
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
(5) For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; (6) and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; (7) and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
(8) For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(9) But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
(10) Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, (11) and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ~2 Peter 1:4-11
We might have to read those verses a couple times for them to sink in, but go for it, because they are so good! Basically: because of God, we can be sanctified, and by seeking to be like God (in nature), His qualities will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in living our lives for Him.
With God's help...We can kill-off the revived wasps of sin and dispose of unwanted behaviors, as long as we stay in communion with Him and His Word (ways).
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. ~Romans 6:14
Just like I was able to (easily) capture and dispose of the lethargic-wasps in our camper, sin has no power or hold over us anymore because we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
If (and when) sin resurfaces, don't get stung, just get rid of it all over again.
God is still (and will always be) at work in us, and He's not done yet.
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ~Philippians 1:6
Squash sin (flagrant or feeble) like a bug today.
Blessings,
sarah
https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com
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