September 3
(Psalm 107:17-22 NIV) “Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. {18} They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. {19} Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. {20} He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. {21} Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. {22} Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.”
(Genesis 3:6-13 NIV) "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. {7} Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. {8} Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. {9} But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" {10} He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." {11} And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" {12} The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." {13} Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.""
(Hebrews 3:12-4:1 NIV) "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. {13} But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. {14} We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. {15} As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." {16} Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? {17} And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? {18} And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed ? {19} So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. {4:1} Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it."
Cultural sickness and death result when we rebel against God. Many today do not like to use the word, but we’re talking about sin. Spiritual rebellion will always manifest itself in moral, physical, and relational decay. We see this in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve choose to disobey God. We see it today as the rebellion continues. When we rebel, we become fools and we suffer. Our families, our communities, and our nation suffer as well. We find it difficult to maintain committed relationships. We decline physically, morally, and emotionally. Fortunately, “foolish rebels” are among those God wants to gather up. In His mercy, He comes looking for us. He calls our name. When we answer, He rescues us, heals us, and saves us. Thank the Lord today. Sing a song of joy to Him and tell others about His works. It’s the least we can do. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day
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