The Devotional - A Look at the Book #861

by Jesse Abel

Thoughts from Papa “J”

 

Preparing for a day of evil is nothing new. Solomon in his day never saw a war, yet he knew that this sort of evil could happen, this is why he penned the words of Proverbs 21:31. There is another evil documented in the Holy Bible and it seems that many of us have forgotten how to discipline our children. Proverbs 22:6 and so Romans 1:30-31 is the runoff!

 

Good Morning

 

I remember asking my father one evening is I could go with a friend and his family to the ice cream parlor in the neighborhood. He said; “no, that we did not have the money for me to spend on that sort of thing”. When I told the friend that I could not go because of having no money, he said; “come on anyway, my father will pay!” So I went.

 

Later that night as I was sleeping I had a dream that I had become a very large ship on the ocean. The ocean was very rough and caused me to crack into; two pieces. I woke up frightened and cried out, bringing my father into the bedroom. “What going on?” he said with an angry voice. I explained my dream.

 

His reply was, “you disobeyed and went and had ice cream, didn’t you?” I thought to myself, wow! He must be smarter that I thought. But as time went on I learned that it was the sugar in the ice cream that cause me to have a nightmare and of course, my dad knew that didn’t he! No doubt something similar could have happened to him at a young age.

 

Visiting the iniquities of the fathers to the third and fourth generations is no small problem. In fact; God assigns this sin to idolatry Exodus 20:3-6 and as we read earlier in Romans 1 that the haters of God and disobedient to parents show up in the same context and train of thought.

 

I don’t know about you, but for me this sort of word search gives me “goose bumps” now there is a word I should search out. Just what is a “goose bump?” anyway? Sorry to get sidetracked. At my age it is easy to be sidetracked and even forget where the track is; but thankfully all I need to do is reread what I just wrote before this paragraph.

 

So I see at least a two part problem here. If we think about iniquities to the third and fourth generation, we might lean to all of the sins recorded for us in Romans 1:18-32. We would also be right, since hating God and disobedience to parents are root causes that develop the multitude of sin recorded here in Romans 1.

 

But just to have my way with the root causes a potential national problem which is the focal point of all these words; it is only half of what is to be said. We may be so suppressed that all we notice is the crumbling foundation of a once strong nation, but God sees the whole of the matter. The fact is that He calls each of us to get a grip on our future.

 

Notice, God says through the words of the apostle Paul to stop judging the nation in that while we have some of the facts; we are judging (and we are) then we are doing the same as our fathers and forefathers did; as Israel did, so we in the Church Dispensation do the same.

 

Exodus 20:6 – but showing Mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

So what does a broken ship have to do with this. My life as an unbeliever in God was just like that of my father. Broken because I had no love for God and broken because I choose the same path of disobedience that my father travelled.

 

One person at a time, or a whole nation at a time; God will repair our brokenness. He is a Master Builder, He will break us; but He follows up our brokenness with a splendid show of Mercy to those who return to loving Him from a pure heart and good conscience. Hebrews 4:1-16.