“How can the LORD do this to me? Doesn’t He love me and protect me?” I know that I have thought those words and likely have even said them aloud a time or two (or three, or four…). It is natural for me to think that way, especially when the essence of God is love. But, isn’t He my heavenly father, isn’t it the job of a father to hold us accountable to what is.
“4Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,”
— Psalm 51:4a (ESV)
Frankly, to Him didn’t I do what is being called out. I was the one who sinned and any sin is a sin against God. It may have been something simple that “did not hurt anyone”, but it did, God and my relationship with Him. Sin is a wedge between the LORD and me. Where there is sin, there tends to be little to no room for the LORD. Yes, the LORD is light and darkness cannot remain in the light. Yet, with my sin I am doing all there is to cover the light so that the darkness can be prevalent. And just who am I accountable to for the removal of the light, God.
When I have taken action to remove God by sinning, whether intentional or not (as we will sin without really thinking or knowing), I am accountable to that sin and to God. Not the world as one might think. As note above, it may not have hurt anyone in the world and the world has repeatedly said and will continue to say to do what you think is right and what feels good to you.
I have to be concerned with the sin in my life, whether I know about it or not. That sin, where it may not be hurting anyone in this world, it is hurting the LORD and due to that, He is justified in holding me accountable. He has the right to take action against me as I have taken action against Him.
“4so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.”
— Psalm 51:4b (ESV)
Just as any father has the right to hold accountable his children for doing things that are outside of what is deemed right, the LORD holds me accountable to do that which is right by Him. Sin is not right by God and therefor any sin is against Him and He should hold me accountable, whether I know of the sin or not. I have committed to Him and in that commitment I know what is right and should be held to that standard by the one that created the standard, the LORD.
What have you done that is sinning against God? Are you even thinking of the LORD as the one you are hurting with your actions? What if you were to accept that all sin is indeed hurting God and that He is justified to hold you accountable, how would you change your actions?
Trevor's Thoughts 