There's a price to being a man or woman of God. When we determine to be all that God wants us to be, we must understand that there's no cover up with Him. No sweeping our sins under the carpet. No hiding skeletons in the closet. His character is not only that of absolute purity, but also of total knowledge. He knows. He loves. And He disciplines those whom He knows and loves.
A teenage girl gets pregnant. A friend is killed during a drinking binge. A pastor loses his ministry because of immorality. Can these things be forgiven? The answer is absolutely and unequivocally "yes." God is a God of grace and mercy. He forgives the worst as well as the least of sins. But we must never forget that there are consequences to every sin. God has warned us - "For the wages of sin is death…." (Romans 6:23a NIV).
For the last several months, we've been studying David, a man after God's own heart. We've seen him in times of victory as well as seasons of despair. We've watched David soar with the eagles and wallow with the pigs. His life almost seems to be one filled with contradictions - man of God; yet, adulterer and murderer. He lives and works in the power of the Spirit. But not long afterwards, he yields to the temptations of the flesh. What can we learn from his life that will enable us to miss the traps in which he fell?
Normally, this is a devotional about the making of a man or woman of God. However, today, I'm going to veer off that path and share with you something very personal that God did in my life. On November 11, 1999 I visited a medical specialist who works with vocal disorders. He is a surgeon, and there were indications of polyps on my vocal cords. The surgeon later that day confirmed the diagnosis. He said that I must immediately begin two weeks of silence as well as take medication.
