How foolish to foist our sins and their consequences on God. Let’s take responsibility for the messes we created!

“People ruin their lives by their own foolishness

and then are angry at the Lord.”

Proverbs 19:3 NLT

It takes unmitigated gall to put God on the defense stand!

• we sow seeds of unfaithfulness in a relationship, then shake our fist at God when that relationship fails
• we sow seeds of indifference in our eating habits, then blame God when diagnosed with diabetes or high blood pressure
• we run straight past God-planted ‘caution’ and ‘stop’ signs leading up to a decision, then roll our eyes at him when we make the wrong one and it bites us
• we fail as parents to instruct, guide and set parameters for our children, then question the faithfulness of God when their rebelliousness breaks our hearts
• we foolishly sow to the wind, then accuse God of bullying when hit by the whirlwind

As we probe the issue of bad things happening to good people, we pull God into the matter as the instigator and perpetrator of all the bad and disappointing that happens to us.

• we carelessly vote into office people with immoral character and greedy intentions, then complain to God about the direction they take us
• we take scant interest in our children’s schooling, then stand aghast at God when their faith is destroyed by secularism
• we take our spouse for granted, never investing in that primary relationship, then somehow put the blame on God when it dissolves into irrelevance and loneliness

It’s time to ‘fess up’ … to take responsibility for our own actions or lack thereof. When Adam sinned, he put God on the defense stand. “It’s the woman who you gave to me who made me mess up,” he pouted. But when the prophet confronted King David about his adulterous, murderous actions, David took responsibility saying, “I was wrong.” II Samuel 12:13.

Adam lost paradise … David was forgiven and called ‘a man after God’s heart.’Let’s quit blaming God for the effects of our bad decisions and let him help us make correct ones. Let’s stop insinuating that God didn’t guide us and start listening carefully for his voice. Let’s end our practice of using God as a scape goat and invite him to be the Friend and Confidante that he wants to be.

Post taken from “Fresh Heart For a New Day – Volume 1”  January 21st posting. Volumes 1 and 2 available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and wherever books are sold. Get a brand new devotional for every day in 2024!