Day 31 - Obadiah

Our sins do not happen in a vaccuum.  They affect others.  They affect us.  Namely, they put distance between us and God.  But, the biggest thing to remember is that they have eternal consequences.  Every sin we commit throws the world off the cosmos more and more.  More importantly, it throws our future off it's cosmos.  We can't be all God is creating us to be if we're not doing what He's calling us to do.  Simply, our sins thwart God's will and turn our lives in the wrong direction.  The prophet Obadiah said it this way...

"The day of the Lord is near for all nations.  As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head." -Obadiah 1:15

What we've done will come back on our own heads.  That's a scary thought.  But, the great thing about this passage is that this is a great promise from God.  This message in Obadiah was for Edom, the nation that sat and laughed as Jerusalem was ransacked.  This is a promise that vindication belongs to the Lord.  He will have His day, in this life or the next.  So, there are two perspectives to view this passage.  First, we must know that our sins can come back to haunt us.  There are ramifications for not following God's will.  Namely, we end up in a life out of God's will.  Sins are essentially about decisions.  This passage reminds us to make decisions that honor God.  Second, we can rest assurred that God will see the faithful through to the end.  God WILL judge the wicked.  God WILL bring vindication for the righteous.  Sometimes, we get frustrated because it seems like the bad guys alway win.  Obadiah teaches us that the good guys win.  We have to understand that we might not see the victory.  We might not experience the vindication that God offers on this side of eternity.  It might take a while for the reckoning to happen, but we need to know that God is watching.  God is seeing the faithful and working to bless them.  And God is watching the wicked, hoping they'll turn it around, but taking notes if they don't.  Our sins don't happen in a vaccuum.  They happen in the reality of God, and our just God deals with them according to His ways.  Let us be people that bless others, that do good, the speak uplifting words...because those deeds will return to our own head, too.  And that's a very good thing.