ANGLICAN DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL FOR DECEMBER 13, 2022 (THE HIGH COST OF SIN)
TOPIC: THE HIGH COST OF SIN
Read: Zephaniah 1:14-18(NKJV)
14. The great day of the LORD [is] near; [It is] near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
15. That day [is] a day of wrath, A Day of trouble and distress, A Day of devastation and desolation, A Day of darkness and gloominess, A Day of clouds and thick darkness,
16. A Day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities and against the high towers.
17. “I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse.”
18. Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the LORD’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.
MESSAGE
STUDY: He was lying flat on his face as he cried much in anguish. “I have disappointed the Lord; I have lost the moral courage to demand holiness from others.”
All that I could think about concerning this experience was the high cost of sin. Sin is the most expensive commodity on earth. It has the potential of destroying us if we continue to yield to it.
Although he was reassured of God’s forgiveness, the pain of his heart and the sorrow I saw was enough motivation to steer clear of sinful lusts that severely compromise our standing with God.
Verse 17 of this passage tells us why the Prophet Zephaniah was saying God will bring distress upon men: It is because “they have sinned against the Lord.”
I cannot think of anything positive that sin brings into our lives. It makes us lose our confidence; it robs us of the peace of God that passes all understanding;
it destroys our happiness and shatters our joy in the Lord, which is our strength. Ultimately, sin reduces us; it does not increase us.
The list is endless. But the most serious is the fact that God will eventually punish all sins we refuse to repent of. This will be a good time to search your heart. Is there something you need to repent of? The blood of Jesus can wash it away.
PRAYER: What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
The Anglican Communion is the fourth-largest Christian denomination. Founded in 1867 in London, England, the communion currently has 85 million members within the Church of England and other national and regional churches in full communion.
