Kryptonite for Every Superman

April 18

(Psalm 38:3,5,7,8,10 NIV) “Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. {5} My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. {7} My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. {8} I am feeble and utterly crushed… {10} My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.”

(Proverbs 3:1-8 NIV) “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, {2} for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. {3} Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. {4} Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. {5} Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; {6} in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. {7} Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. {8} This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

(Proverbs 4:18-22 NIV) “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. {19} But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. {20} My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. {21} Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; {22} for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.”

As time goes by, sin wreaks havoc on our body. Many today bear the scars of foolish and dis-obedient behavior. We start out strong, thinking we are Superman. We don’t realize until it’s too late that the devil has the Kryptonite. Sin is persistent and steady in its quest to rob us of our health. Sometimes it comes swiftly, sometimes it takes decades. Psalm 38 describes the physical anguish: festering wounds, searing pain, feebleness, no strength, bad heart, bad eyes, and being utterly crushed. Doesn’t that sound like fun? We have all known someone who was taken down physically by their sin. We recall their young, vibrant faces, and we lament the condition they ended up in. We have visited them in treatment and in hospitals. We have attended their funerals. Don’t be a fool. No one is Superman when it comes to sin. Everyone is susceptible to the Kryptonite. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day