Thought for the Day

Verse 1 - It is vitally important to heed advice and correction. Stubborn, prideful people refuse to be corrected (Jeremiah 5:3). Sooner or later, those who continue in destructive paths bring upon themselves God's wrath, which is reaping the consequences of one's sinful deeds. Walking in faith and obedience to God keeps us under His protection. By refusing correction, we step out from under God's protection and invite Satan's attacks.

Our choices today will shape our tomorrow; filling them with either blessing or cursing. If we receive God's correction when He convicts us of sin, we will avoid the sorrow that disobedience creates. If we continue in sin, our backsliding will produce difficult circumstances that will correct us. "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God ..." (Jeremiah 2:19).

God challenges us with this admonition in Deuteronomy 30:19: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." Society stresses our right to choose, but suppresses the truth that our choices have consequences, especially in the areas of lust and selfishness. Movies generally glamorize sin but seldom depict the devastating results of adultery, abortion, and so forth. That these sins have consequences often does not hit home until one suffers a divorce, contracts a sexually-transmitted disease, or suffers the emotional aftermath of getting an abortion. If we become hardened, our wrong choices can destroy us by bringing consequences that will hurt us beyond remedy. Anyone who has continually made bad decisions is on the road to destruction and has only one hope: Jesus. God is able to take the inescapable situations that we have created, and turn them around. God can bring good out of the evil which Satan unleashes against us when we repent.

Verse 2 - In Day 321 and Day 329, we saw that a nation rejoices when ruled by upright leaders and mourns under the oppression of wicked rulers. The same is true in all areas of authority; whether homes, schools, or businesses. Good leaders create an environment that encourages the growth of those under them. A wicked person in a position of authority can wound and destroy many lives. Many people have left good-paying jobs and taken smaller positions simply to work under decent management and employers.