Consequences

I did something dumb about three weeks ago, and I thought that the problem had been resolved.  But it hadn’t.  Let me explain: I had a Delta tabletop planner that began to chatter (see my post from May 27).  As I was investigating, I rolled the planner shaft, and caught my fingernail on the sharp planning knife.  The knife cut into my fingernail and it bled, but Neosporin and a band-aid fixed it.  Well, almost fixed it.  The band-aid did stop the bleeding, but the fingernail was still cut across the nailbed.  So, over the next three weeks, the fingernail continued to grow out, and as it did, the cut part grew closer to the tip of the nail.  So, last week, when I trimmed my fingernail once again, the cut part of the fingernail was exposed on one side and began snagging on things.  The other side of the nail was still attached to the quick so I couldn’t remove the snagging part of the fingernail.  When I washed my hair, the nail snagged my hair.  When I turned over in bed at night, the nail snagged the sheets.  When I put on my tee shirt, the nail snagged my tee shirt.  My constant problem with my snagging fingernail reminded me of Spiritual problems that go unresolved.  When we sin, we confess the wrong to the Lord and the sin is forgiven and under the blood of Jesus Christ.  Problem solved.  But some sins have consequences.  We may be forgiven for the sin of alcohol, but addictions may persist.  We may be forgiven for loose living, but STD’s may result.  Fornication may be forgiven, but a pregnancy may result.  Hey, every sin is evil before a Holy God, but some sins have rippling consequences reaching far into the future ... some even for generations.  Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”  Praise the Lord for His forgiveness!  But for those “long-lasting” sins, just think before you listen to Satan’s lies.  Remember, sin’s pleasure lasts only for a moment, but the consequences last forever.