I’m home today with a sore throat, headache, and body aches. It’s not much fun, but at least I work with great people, like Amy Wood, who willingly agreed to cover my shift, so I could recover. Thanks, Amy!
But why did I get sick? Is God out to get me, to punish me for my poor choices? Of course not! This illness is to a result of my poor choices, not punishment for them. I sometimes eat too much sugar and don’t get enough rest, plus I sometimes forget to wear my mask at work. At some point I was exposed to a virus and now I’m dealing with the consequences.
There is another reason I am sick today. I live in a sick world!
Long ago, at the very beginning, our ancestors made a choice. With a garden full of trees to choose from, they had to go and pick from the one tree they’d been told to stay away from. Today we live with the results of that one, seemingly inconsequential, act. All the heartache, sickness, death, and despair we deal with on a daily basis are the direct result of that one poor choice and all the poor choices we’ve made since.
But I’ve got good news! Although God had every right to abandon us to the results of our poor choices, He chose a different way. When we rejected Him He accepted us. When we gave Him only hate, He gave us only love, sending his Son to pay the price for our sin, “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
Without God we would have no hope, but with Him we have no reason for despair. Someday soon sickness will end, fires will go out, disaster will be no more, “and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Isaiah 51:1. “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:37.
Until then you may have a rough road to walk, but remember, you do not walk it alone,”for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6. So, walk on, my friend! A better day is on it’s way!