Greg Laurie Harvest Daily Devotional

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Harvest Daily with Greg Laurie - Oct. 18, 2006



Sin and Suffering

 

“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

Ezekiel 18:32

 

There are problems we can bring into our lives as a result of sin. I am not suggesting that someone with a physical illness is being punished for sin. The Scripture teaches that even the godly will suffer.

 

Job was not a sinner. But because he was righteous, the Lord allowed testing to come into his life. Three times, the apostle Paul asked the Lord to take away his physical affliction. But instead of healing Paul, the Lord responded, “My grace is sufficient for you . . . ” (see 2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

Yet there are troubles that we can bring upon ourselves. An alcoholic might need a liver transplant. Someone engaged in immoral sexual behavior might have a disease. You might say they brought these conditions upon themselves by their sinful choices. So yes, there are penalties that can come into our lives unnecessarily because of our sin.

 

We don’t know whether the man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5 was born that way or whether he developed that condition later in life. But we do read that Jesus said to him, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (verse 14). So we may conclude that this man had done something that brought this sin upon him, and he had dealt with his affliction for 38 years.

 

I have heard stories of people coming to faith when they were facing death. They were uncertain, and they turned to God. As the psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word” (Psalm 119:67).

 

Sometimes sickness, calamity, or tragedy can bring us to our knees so we will turn to God. And if that is what it takes, then it would be better that we were sick and right with God than healthy without Him.

 

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org.

Copyright © 2006 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

 



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