Grace Abused

 March 5, 2024

Yesterday’s reading was the amazing statement that “[The LORD] has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.” —Numbers 23:21 

Following directly upon those words, today’s reading tells of Israel chasing after the perverse and promiscuous gods of Moab and suffering as a result, a plague that killed 20,000 of them. It makes me want to say, “Israel, what were you thinking?” The problem was that they weren’t. We never are when we sin. St. Paul said that the god of this world blinds our minds. “Our MINDS.” I can’t remember a single time I’ve sinned that I thought I would get caught. We think we can get away with it, that the Scripture that says, “Be sure your sins will find you out” doesn’t apply to us.

The lesson is clear: Grace abused and abandoned is a dangerous thing. Presuming upon the goodness of God can take you to places you don’t want to go, and usually, like a flood, it carries along with you those you care most about. It is a wise person who knows how to pray, “Lord, preserve me from presumptuous sin. Hold tightly onto me when my grip upon you weakens, lest I profane your name and bring disgrace upon mine.”