CAUSE AND EFFECT
“They did not listen…they rejected [God’s] statutes…and the warnings which He had given them.” –2 Kings 17:14, 15
The Israelites experienced the consequences of rejecting God thousands of years ago, and modern society follows the same path. If the causes are similar, why would the results differ?
- Persist in sin; receive the wages of sin: death (Rm 6:23).
- Condemn others, even silently, and be condemned (Mt 7:2).
- Fail to give alms, and cause others to suffer (Sir 14:4-9).
- Fail to evangelize, and reap a godless society.
- Put your trust in contraception and reap a culture of death.
- Sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind (Hos 8:7).
Our sinful, human nature tends toward death (Rm 8:6). However, we have hope in Jesus, Who is our only Hope. When we live for Jesus alone, He breaks the destructive cycle of sin and gives us a new set of consequences:
- Repent, obey God’s commands, worship Him alone, and a thousand generations of your descendants receive His mercy (Ex 20:5-6; 1 Pt 2:10).
- Sow God’s Word, and reap much fruit (Mk 4:8).
- Trust God, tithe, give alms, sow your money generously for Him, and He will wipe everything clean for you (Lk 11:41), open the floodgates of heaven to bless you beyond measure (Mal 3:10), and let you reap bountifully (2 Cor 9:6).
“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life” (Dt 30:19). Break out of the vicious cycle. Obey God.
PRAYER: Jesus, save me from myself. Save me for a life of obedience, service, holiness, and worship. I give my life totally to You.
PROMISE: “The measure with which you measure will be used to measure you.” –Mt 7:2
PRAISE: Albert has lovingly attended daily Mass for over forty years.
