Notes of Faith November 22, 2024

Fallout

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust.

Joel 2:25

In the late 1940s when people began to consider the consequences of atomic weapons, a new word came into our vocabulary: fallout. Billions of airborne particles ejected into the atmosphere by a nuclear explosion would settle on earth and contaminate it. The word fallout soon came to be used to describe the results of any kind of problem. Christians began to talk about the fallout of their sins—the aftereffects of hurt and pain that follow disobedience.

When we sin and ask God’s forgiveness, He is happy to give it. The blood doesn’t lose its power. But that doesn’t mean we’re exempt from the fallout of sin. Often our sin bears consequences, and we reap what we sow. If you have sin in your life, go to God for forgiveness, then trust Him to manage the repercussions.

Romans 8:28 says that “all things” work together for good for those who love the Lord. Even though the fallout of sin is painful, God can even use that—in time—for His purposes and His glory. He can restore what the locusts have eaten.

Repentance breaks the abscess of sin, and then the soul is at ease.

Thomas Watson

We have used the words rewards and consequences with our children and grandchildren. Even though we may receive rewards from our parents, grandparents, and God, we may also have consequences to pay for our disobedience. Suffering because of disobedience prayerfully leads to obedience. God does indeed use our disobedience for His glory, perfecting us toward righteousness and holiness, to become a reflection of His glory! Endure the pain and suffering brought about by sin, knowing that you have been forgiven, and your turn toward obedience brings great reward!

Pastor Dale