Overcoming: Devotions from Time of GraceSample

Pain Makes My Sinning Uncomfortable

Much as I'd like to blame other people or even God for my problems, I have to admit that some of the pain in my life is self-inflicted. How about you?

Does a pounding head and hangover nausea in the morning remind you that your drinking last evening was stupid? Is your marriage turning sour because of poor choices on your part? Ever lost a job because of your own carelessness or arrogance? Been broke because of your out-of-control spending? Tried to take sinful shortcuts to happiness and gotten burned?

Sin never satisfies long-term. Satan sees to it that sinning often
brings a short-term burst of excitement. But sooner or later the pain comes, the pain that demands that something change. We usually think that all pain is bad. God thinks pain is good if it teaches us things we need to learn and if it softens up a hard head and a hard heart.

King David hurt himself often during his life, but he learned some
valuable lessons and shared them with us. He wrote in Psalm 38:5,15, "My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I wait for you, O LORD."

Hey--wake up!