Do Right

August 23

Job 28-29

Psalm 95:6-11

Proverbs 21:3-4

2 Corinthians 11

Do Right

“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”  Proverbs 21:3 NIV

Today’s sermon at church was on Genesis 4 where Cain killed Abel.  My pastor, Gregg Farrell, said something I have heard him say several times.  “The most important decision you will ever make is the next one.”  We serve a God of second chances, and third chances, and fourth chances.  Our poor decisions do not eliminate us from making good decisions in the future.  No matter how bad we have let things get, God will give us a way to turn it around.  We can choose to do good next time. We are not bound to keep going down the wrong path.  We get to decide.  Even Cain’s premeditated decision to kill his brother did not result in God taking away his opportunity to make things right.  God put a hedge of protection around him to prevent anyone from killing him.  He deserved death, but God gave him grace.  His descendants were the ones who invented tents, farming tools and musical instruments.  God did not just throw up His hands and disqualify him from anything good.  God has not disqualified you either and he hasn’t disqualified those in your life who may have messed up.  God can turn things around, but we have to choose to do what is right and just.  We have to let our next decision be one led by God and not by our own sinful passions and desires.  When we humbly seek Him, He will lead us in the right direction.  We may have to face the consequences of the bad choices we made and we may not experience everything He originally had for us, but He wants to bring good into our lives.  He knows what is best for us and what will give us a life of peace and meaning.  We should listen!

The Jews had become accustomed to doing ritualistic sacrifices to please God.  If they sinned against Him, they just sacrificed an animal and thought everything was fine.  God is much more concerned with the attitude of our hearts than some ritual we can do to “fix it” and automatically receive forgiveness.  Solomon wanted the Israelites to understand that God doesn’t just want us to blindly follow rules.  He wants us to do right because we desire to do right.  He wants us to want to please Him.  I can understand that as a parent.  I always wanted my kids to obey me but I was much happier when they did the right thing because they wanted to do the right thing, not just because they didn’t want to get in trouble if they didn’t.  God is interested in righteousness not reluctant obedience.  His goal is to transform our hearts and our minds.